Advertising rates for Asia Cup India-Pakistan match down by 15 to 20%

Industry executives say various factors, including sudden ban on the real money gaming (RMG) sector, which has been among the biggest advertisers in cricket, have led to the dip in advertising rates

In contrast to the popularity that the India-Pakistan cricket matches enjoy across various formats and tournaments, advertising rates for Sunday’s match between the two teams in the 2025 Asia Cup have fallen by 15 to 20 per cent, with industry executives arguing that the dip could be due to various factors, including sudden ban on real money gaming sector. 

 

The average advertising rate for India-Pakistan matches in the Asia Cup in the past was around Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh for 10-second advertising spot on linear TV. The rate for the match between the two teams under the tournament this year is not given. The average advertising rate for ICC tournaments goes up to Rs 20 lakh for linear TV per 10-second spot, two people aware of the matter said. These average rates are for standalone India-Pakistan matches, and not bundled in packages and depending upon the tournament and the media rights owner, these average advertisement rates could vary slightly. 

   

Industry executives noted that the tournament, which started on September 9, has observed low viewership and audience interest for matches of teams like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hong Kong, Bangladesh and Oman. 

 

Two industry executives, on the condition of anonymity, said that the drop of 15 to 20 per cent in advertising rates is mainly due to the sudden ban on the real money gaming (RMG) sector, which has been among the biggest advertisers in cricket and some impact due to the recent geopolitical tension between the two countries. 

 

Sarfaraz Ansari, senior vice-president, Mudramax, a part of DDB Mudra Group, said that one usually sees a huge spike in spot rates for advertisements for India-Pakistan matches, but due to a lukewarm start to the tournament, the advertisement rates have bucked previous trends. 

 

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), the media rights holder of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) matches till 2031, has structured the advertisement sales by offering advertisement spots for seven key matches (which can have Team India’s matches) at a flat rate, with all non-India matches included as part of the package, said a person aware of the matter. This flat rate for seven matches for a 10-second spot on linear TV is Rs 16 lakh for the ongoing tournament. 

 

In general, the market rates for the 2025 Asia Cup matches have been hovering around Rs 20 lakh to Rs 24 lakh per 10-second advertising spot for connected TV (CTV), said Vivek Menon, managing partner, NV Capital, a media and entertainment fund company. While these rates have been similar and remained steady, one cannot ignore that gaming companies were a big sponsor overall for cricket, and that kitty has taken a huge dent, Menon added. 

 

For the digital segment, the pre-roll rates are around Rs 275 per 10 seconds, with India matches having Rs 500 per 10-second ad spot and India-Pakistan match having Rs 750 per 10-second ad spot, according to industry executives. 

 

Meanwhile, industry executives added that the recent GST (goods and services tax) announcement by the government and the onset of the festival season will see brands from consumer durables, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), mobile handsets, automobiles, decorative paints, financial services, insurance, and tyres as major spenders for advertisements for Sunday’s match. 

 

Additionally, Menon added that the impact of the absence of a lead sponsor for Team India has also caused a dent in advertising rates. 

 

Siddharth Devnani, cofounder and chief operating officer, SoCheers, said that bigger brands will definitely step up, as they are eager to leverage the spotlight that only an India-Pakistan clash can deliver.