Advertising volumes on television, once regarded as one of the most dominant mediums, witnessed a 4% decline in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to a recent TAM AdEx report. Despite this drop, TV ad volumes saw a 14% increase compared to 2020, indicating a long-term upward trajectory.
The second quarter of 2024 showed a 6% growth compared to the first quarter, demonstrating positive momentum in the middle of the year. However, the fourth quarter recorded a 6% decline compared to the third quarter, pointing to fluctuations in TV ad spending.
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) emerged as the top advertiser of 2024, commanding a 16% share of total TV ad volumes. The top 10 advertisers collectively accounted for 45% of the total ad volume share.
Among the top 10 brands, five belonged to Reckitt Benckiser (India) and three were from Hindustan Unilever. In terms of individual brands, Harpic secured the top position, followed by Dettol Toilet Soaps, JioCinema App, Lizol, Surf Excel, Santoor, and Close Up, which together contributed to 10% of the total TV ad volumes.
The leading categories in 2024 included toilet soaps, floor cleaners, washing powders, toothpaste, e-commerce/social media platforms, milk beverages, shampoos, rubs and balms, chocolates, and biscuits.
Over 4,000 new advertisers entered the TV ad space in 2024 compared to the previous year. Some of the notable names among these exclusive advertisers included Velnik India, Canva, Express Broadcasting, Comfort Grid Technologies, Kirloskar Brothers, L N Gym, PhonePe Wealth Broking, Waterways Leisure Tourism, TravelXP India, and Reliance BP Mobility.
General Entertainment Channels (GEC) retained their position as the leading TV genre for advertising, capturing a 30% share of ad volumes in both 2023 and 2024. The GEC genre was followed by:
News Channels: 26%
Movies: 21%
Music: 11%
Kids: 4%
Others: 7%
The top five channel genres collectively accounted for over 92% of the total TV ad volumes in 2024 and 2023.
Co-branding advertising, where brands collaborate with movies to create a marketing synergy, experienced a 5% growth in 2024 compared to 2023.
Spotify App led the co-branding segment, contributing to 7% of total co-branded ad volumes. Additionally, brands associated with Pushpa 2 accounted for 21% of all co-branded ads during the year.
More than 60 movies engaged in brand partnerships in 2024, with the top contributors being:
‘Fighter’ (13 brands)
‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ (10 brands)
‘Main Atal Hoon’ (8 brands)
‘Maidaan’ (8 brands)
‘Pushpa 2’ (6 brands)
‘Dunki’ (4 brands)
‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ (4 brands)
‘Mr & Mrs Mahi’ (4 brands)
‘Chandu Champion’ (4 brands)
‘Srikanth’ (4 brands)
The increase in co-branding efforts highlights the evolving dynamics of TV advertising, where brand-movie alliances play a crucial role in driving audience engagement.
Key Highlights:
- TV ad volumes declined by 4% in 2024 compared to 2023 but remained 14% higher than 2020 levels.
- Hindustan Unilever (HUL) was the top advertiser, while Reckitt Benckiser and JioCinema App also featured prominently.
- General Entertainment Channels (GEC) led with a 30% share of ad volumes.
- Co-branding ads grew by 5%, with brands associated with Pushpa 2 securing a 21% share of co-branded ads.
- Over 4,000 new advertisers entered the TV ad space in 2024.