MUMBAI: India is a nation of cricket-fanatics and that is the reason why the Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most watched sports leagues in the world. This makes it one of the most lucrative opportunities for advertisers as well. There always has been a significant interest from brands and marketers to tap into this cricket fair since its inception in 2008 and their involvement in the game rose to an all-time high this year. 

As per a latest BARC report, ad volumes in IPL 2019 grew by 100 per cent as compared to the previous season, with a total of 212,493 running during the series. 

The report detailed that 246 brands from 95 categories were advertised in this period. Out of these 158 brands found a spot during the live matches as will as match highlights. The top 10 categories contributed to a massive 52 per cent of the ad telecast during the adrenaline-pumping season.

Cellular and smartphones led the advertisers’ category with a total of 30,253 ad insertions. Smartphone ads by five advertisers clocked 14.2 per cent of all ads. Auto-cars were the second top advertisers in terms of ad volumes, contributing 5.7 per cent of the overall spectra.

Other top categories included pan masala, gaming, paints, e-wallets, and non-aerated soft drinks.