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The anticipation is palpable, the stakes enormous — and advertisers are paying the price. With India set to face Pakistan in the Asia Cup final this Sunday, advertising rates are surging across both connected TV (CTV) and traditional linear TV platforms. For CTV, slots are now commanding ₹15 lakh per 10 seconds, while linear TV rates have jumped by roughly 66 per cent compared to the biennial cricket tournament’s average final-match rates.
For context, CTV advertising during past Asia Cup finals typically hovered between ₹8 lakh and ₹10 lakh per 10 seconds. But the rapid rise of CTV in India has pushed up this figure significantly for Sunday’s clash. In the digital space, mobile ad rates are pegged at ₹600 for every 1,000 impressions, according to industry executives.
Tensions between the two cricket sides have been running high starting with India’s refusal to do a traditional handshake with Pakistani players at the time of toss and after the games as a gesture of solidarity with the Pahalgam terror attack victims. Combined with India’s wins in both encounters with Pakistan in the T20 tournament so far, the politically charged atmosphere fuelled interest in the final on Sunday, further driving advertiser demand.
The demand surge is particularly pronounced for prime TV slots and high-impact digital inventory, rising by 10 to 20 per cent compared to other India-Pakistan matches in the ongoing tournament, said Yasin Hamidani, director at Media Care Brand Solutions. India and Pakistan are meeting for the first time in a cricket tournament final since the Champions Trophy clash at the Oval in 2017. Furthermore, in 16 editions of the Asia Cup, the Men in Blue have never faced Pakistan in a final.
Linear TV is witnessing high interest too. Previously, Asia Cup finals saw ad rates around ₹12 lakh to ₹15 lakh per 10 seconds. For Sunday, media-buying executives revealed, the figure had surged to ₹18-25 lakh per 10 seconds — a 10-20 per cent increase over the last Asia Cup final. Those watching CTV and digital trends see an even sharper rise, according to a person in the know.
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Rohin Desai, chief client officer at Madison World, explained that the advertising frenzy only escalated after Pakistan secured its place in the final on Thursday. Prior to that, demand for the finals had mirrored typical trends seen in other similar tournaments.
The advertising rate for the first India-Pakistan match of the tournament had taken a hit amid boycott calls on social media and following the recent ban on real-money gaming. Rates for that match fell 15-20 per cent compared to other India-Pakistan encounters in similar tournaments.
Top brands across FMCG, automobiles, mobile handsets, consumer durables, financial services, and insurance are expected to pay a premium to secure high-visibility slots in Sunday’s blockbuster final, Hamidani added. “With CTV and mobile devices offering far more inventory than linear TV, advertising rates in these segments surged once advertisers saw Pakistan’s qualification confirmed,” said Nikhil Vyas, partner at ITW Universe. He noted that the spike was further fuelled by India’s festival season, ongoing goods and services tax reforms, and booming ecommerce sale periods.
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