TV ad volume rises to 5-year high as brands, advertisers boost visibility

BARC has attributed the surge in advertising to the ongoing festive season and big-ticket properties like the Indian Premier League (IPL), Bigg Boss and Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC)

Advertising on television (TV) channels peaked to a five-year high in the week to October 30, the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC India) said on Thursday, as brands and advertisers increased their visibility during the festival season. 

The release of the data spells good news for the domestic advertising and media industry hit hard by the lockdown in the April-June quarter.

The path to recovery for the sector has been slow but steady, said media analysts, as companies increase advertising spends amid an Unlock 6.0 programme unleashed by the government. Recovery rates in TV, digital, and print have been high from a volume perspective. Value-wise, discounting has been high, impacting advertising rates. 

BARC India has attributed the surge in advertising to the ongoing festival season and big-ticket properties like the Indian Premier League, Bigg Boss, and Kaun Banega Crorepati. It said 38.7 million of advertising seconds were telecast on TV channels during the week under review, surpassing the previous high attained in 2015.

In the previous week, the number stood at 37.9 million seconds, which is a weekly growth of 2.1 per cent, said BARC India. 

American e-commerce giant Amazon was the biggest brand that advertised during the week under review, followed by Dettol and Surf Excel, the body said.

Among advertisers, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) major HUL led the pack, followed by Reckitt Benckiser and ITC, said BARC India. The body expects the trend of high advertising volumes to continue into the future as the central and state governments unlock all activities. 

On Thursday, cinema halls were reopened in Maharashtra, paving the way for one of the large domestic movie markets to begin their activities. Restaurants, malls, shopping centres, and standalone stores have already been allowed to reopen, with serious buyers stepping out to shop. 

Retail, restaurants, media and entertainment, besides FMCG, telecom and auto, are key advertisers. This year has seen the emergence of digital companies, including gaming apps, edtech, and coding firms on the advertising front. 

E-commerce remains a key advertiser too, with companies in the category investing significantly in brand building, said BARC India.