Champions Trophy Final Drives Ad Rates Sky-High as India Faces New Zealand:

The excitement for the finals of the Champions trophy is not only for the cricket fans, but also for the brands and digital companies who are hoping to earn significantly, which will come true if India beats New Zealand on The prize shall be fought for on March 9 by Rohit Sharma and his company. According to experts, advertisement prices are likely to rise sharply.

For the final match, advertisement rates are expected to be over Rs 40 lakh for a ten-second slot, while digital rates could go as high as Rs 725 CPM. The price of Run of site (ROS) ads, which are not banner ads and are displayed on different sections of a website without precise targeting parameters, has risen from Rs 500 for the 10-second clips during Indian matches to Rs 575 for the finals.

Vivek Menon of NV Capital said the tournament acts as a mini world cup and will increase viewership dramatically, as India is playing in the finals. Because of the high interest in the tournament, premium advertisement rates will become available for the latter stages of the semi finals and finals.

“India’s advancement to the finals will skyrocket the advertising revenues... For India matches, advertisement pricing was between 20 to 25 lakh Indian Rupees for a 10-second segment, while on connected television it was between 10 to 15 lakh rupees.”

A 10-second ad break that featured the India-Pakistan match sold for as high as fifty lakh rupees. India effortlessly triumphed over Pakistan in what later turned to be a dull contest.

On the other side, digital advertisement space for India games was set at five-hundred rupees per CPM, which was double that of non-India matches priced at two-hundred fifty, commented Yasin Hamidani, Director Media Care Brand Solutions.

During India games, advertisement slots on connected television were set to fifteen lakh rupees for the 10-second segment.

Robin Thomas, Lead in Strategic Partnerships and Growth at White Rivers Media, a digital marketing firm estimated the total advertisement revenue from the event would be close to one thousand five hundred crores.

Earlier favorable timing for matches invested viewership and advertising interest as Karan Taurani, Senior Vice President of Elara Capital argued.

While Pakistan is the Champions Trophy host, all India matches have to be hosted in Dubai for security reasons - hence, the final will be hosted there too.

The analysis by Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) reveals that the opening three matches of the Champions Trophy had an audience of 110 million, with the India-Pakistan match alone garnering an impressive 602 million views.

Thomas highlighted that the tournament merges compact format with high stakes at a point where a consumer's spending is maximized. “The tournament appeal is attractive to premium audiences and amalgamation of cricket fans creates space for advertising both on digital and broadcasting sides,” he noted.

New entrants

According to Dalal Vaishal, a co-founder and director of the adtec agency Excellent Publicity, several brands have decided to dip their toes in advertising with the ICC tournament.

“They are able to gauge the campaign effectiveness around the Indian Premier League (IPL) and if they find it useful, they tend to spend bigger amounts during the IPL,” he explains.

Fantasy gaming remains the uncontested leader in the advertising bracket. As do other electronics, they have also emerged in the summer advertisement warfare. They are making these efforts so their brand is top of mind for consumers when they're looking to purchase an air conditioner or refrigerator.

In its last month of FY25, Taurani noted that the Banking Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) sector is increasing ad spending which is a new development in this sector.

The sponsors of the tournament include Dream11, Pernod Ricard India, Beam Suntory, Kohler, Birla Opus, Vodafone Idea, ICICI Direct, McEnroe, Eicher Motors, LIC Housing Finance, and Indira IVF. A total of 11 empires. Taurani stated that the champions trophy is an attractive property and is already paving the ground for the upcoming 2025 IPL edition. It does begin at some point prior to the championship match. Thomas said it will become focal point in JioStar's cricket portfolio strategy as the tournament is centered around limited high value pennies and exceptional fixtures. ICC tournaments and IPL. “IPL is estimated to earn Rs 4500 to 5000 crore from ad revenue from television and streaming along, and ICC could be 30-35 percent of IPL ad revenue while it could be around 1575 to 1750 crore. And it could be, and while champions trophy is an alluring asset, there are comparatively fewer India matches, ”says Taurani. Santosh N, managing partner of D & P advisory said that having the champions world cup and IPL at the same time may create a potential ad spending gap. He also added, ”ICC needs to measure properly the fiscal practicality and significance of the trophy. ODI has challenges, but strategic scheduling, with less fluff,” he said.

Dalal mentioned that the long-awaited return of the Champions Trophy has made things even more thrilling. Given India’s outstanding performance in the T20 World Cup, they came into the tournament as one of the favorites, increasing optimism for another major title. This tournament acts as a redemption for the painful defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Winning this trophy will immensely bolster Team India's morale. Them is the only time fans have the chance to witness the highly charged rivalry of India vs Pakistan.

Marketing professionals are positive about advertiser interest for the IPL and the tournament as well.

Unlike other general entertainment channels that are Aly experiencing declines in advertising dollars spent, Taurani says, sports aren’t one of them. 'The Champions Trophy, IPL, and other tournaments like them are considered premium properties when it comes to advertising in India. There is always a great demand for it, especially among new age businesses who want to market themselves,' Menon said.

During the conversation, Thomas drew attention to the advertisement.
“The TV advertisement rates have skyrocketed, with new records of Rs 18 lakh for a 10-second spot. Digital platforms are also seeing a 10-15% increase in ad revenue. Even though the market seems cautious about everything else at the moment, advertisers still see cricket as an exceptional outlet and are eager to spend money as it remains one of the most coveted forms of advertisement,” he said.