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Time of India
12-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
TV ad volumes dropped by 75% during ICC World Test Championship 2025 final
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Television advertising during the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 saw a sharp decline, with ad volumes down 75% compared to the 2023 final, according to a new report by TAM TAM Sports Advertising Report, which analysed commercial advertising trends across the WTC finals in 2021, 2023, and 2025, found that indexed ad volumes dropped from 107 in 2023 to just 27 in 2025, using the 2021 final as the base index of Africa emerged as the 2025 champions, defeating Australia in the final. The match was broadcast on the Star Sports the drop in ad volumes, the match set new viewership benchmarks . According to the ICC, the 2025 final became the highest-rated and most-watched non-India Test match on television, clocking 2.94 billion viewing minutes and reaching 47 million viewers on the Star Sports network. Digital engagement also soared, with 225 million views across platforms, nearly rivalling the numbers for the 2023 final between India and Australia at The the strong audience reach did not translate into advertising momentum. The number of advertising categories fell from 44 in 2023 to 13 in 2025, a 70% drop. Advertiser count declined 71% from 49 to 14, and the number of participating brands shrank from 70 to 14, marking an 80% contrast, the 2023 final had seen a 7% rise in ad volumes over 2021, when India played New experts attribute the latest decline to a combination of factors: India's absence from the final, diminishing advertiser interest in the Test format, and shifting marketing spends due to a packed sports calendar increasingly dominated by the Indian Premier League (IPL).Among leading advertisers, Maruti Suzuki India topped the charts during ICC TC '23, while Star India (JioHotstar) emerged as the top advertiser in ICC TC'25. The top five advertisers contributed 27% of total ad volumes in 2023, but their share rose significantly to 68% in top five advertising categories contributed nearly 70% of total ad volumes in 2025, a sharp rise from 38% in the 2023 edition. Perfumes/Deodorants and Ecom-Media/Entertainment/Social Media were the leading categories in 2023 and 2025, respectively.
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Business Standard
03-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
WTC final is most-watched non-India Test on digital platform: JioStar CEO
The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 between South Africa and Australia became the most-watched non-India Test match on a digital platform, according to JioStar's CEO – Sports and Live Experiences, Sanjog Gupta. The historic clash at Lord's drew massive attention from Indian audiences, with millions tuning in on JioStar despite India not being a part of the contest. In an interview with Variety, Gupta attributed the digital milestone to a well-timed cross-promotional strategy executed during IPL 2025. 'We didn't drop the full show at one go, but actually staggered it starting during the IPL,' he said, underscoring how JioStar leveraged the cricketing frenzy to create anticipation around the WTC final. $500 Million Investment in Sports Offerings As the Indian sports economy gears up to become a $130 billion industry by 2030, as projected by the Think Sports report by Google and Deloitte, JioStar is significantly scaling up its investments. Gupta revealed that the company is committing $500 million across production, marketing, and technology to deepen its presence in the live sports space. 'Our journey actually begins at that point [of rights acquisition] to grow fans for the property, to deepen fandom for that property, and to be able to extract disproportionate value from that property,' he noted. From cricket to coldplay: A broad sports vision Beyond cricket, JioStar's ambitions span diverse entertainment avenues. Reflecting on the platform's first major live event—Coldplay's concert at the Narendra Modi Stadium on January 26—Gupta called it a 'cultural zeitgeist moment.' The concert, held on India's Republic Day, symbolised the fusion of global music and national pride. Gupta further outlined a broader vision for the platform: to transform India into a sporting nation. 'Our mission is to serve one fan as many sports experiences as possible, powered by the interplay of technology and creativity,' he said, hinting at JioStar's long-term strategy of integrating immersive fan engagement with premium content. A Strategy Anchored in Fan Value Gupta reiterated that JioStar's investments in sports properties are guided by a four-point thesis centered on reach, engagement, monetization, and fandom. 'Till such time as sports, sporting properties, sports rights, continue to deliver on these four tenets of the investment thesis, we will continue to invest in them,' he asserted. With viewership benchmarks being redefined and technology playing a critical role in content delivery, JioStar aims to remain at the forefront of India's booming sports and live entertainment economy.
Int'l Cricket Council
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
WTC Final Broadcast & Digital viewership in India hits new high for Test Cricket
The ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 between South Africa and Australia at Lord's earlier this month has achieved record-breaking broadcast and digital numbers in India, a testament to the continued popularity of the traditional five-day format of the game and to the impactful marketing and production efforts of JioStar. The final of the third WTC cycle, which saw South Africa defeat Australia by five wickets, has become the highest-rated and most watched (2.94 billion minutes of viewing) non-India Test match on TV with the highest reach (47 million) garnered on the Star Sports network. The WTC Final also recorded the highest-ever viewership on Digital with 225 million views, which rivalled viewership for the final of the last edition, despite India taking on Australia in that final at The Oval. Mr. Jay Shah, Chairman of the ICC, said he was pleased with the broadcast and digital numbers in India, which reflected the significance of Test cricket for cricket fans. The Test match at the Lord's Cricket Ground was also watched by 109,227 in-stadia fans. Mr. Shah said: 'The remarkable viewership numbers for the ICC World Test Championship Final, across both broadcast and digital platforms, are a powerful testament to the appeal of high-quality Test cricket and the elevated context of the WTC Final. This format continues to command a loyal and passionate global following and remains an integral part of our sport's identity.' 'What makes this success even more special is the enthusiasm shown by fans in regions beyond the two competing nations, reaffirming that cricket's reach is truly international, and that the purest form of the game can thrive beyond national affiliations.' 'A special mention to JioStar, whose innovative and immersive coverage, captured the drama, emotion, and atmosphere of the 'Ultimate Test' in a way that deeply resonated with audiences around the world.'
Hindustan Times
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru's addition in Women's WC venues the right mix
New Delhi: The ICC's official announcement of the ICC ODI Women's World Cup seems to include a meaningful course correction. To be hosted from September 30 to November 2, the tournament will be played across five venues in India and Sri Lanka. The choice of cities, especially the inclusion of Bengaluru, tells a deeper story about the need to strategise around women's cricket. The five selected venues are M Chinnaswamy Stadium (Bengaluru), ACA Stadium (Guwahati), Holkar Stadium (Indore), ACA-VDCA Stadium (Visakhapatnam), and R Premadasa Stadium (Colombo). Earlier reports had suggested that the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium (Mullanpur) and Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium (Raipur) were also scheduled to host the matches. Now, it is a well-rounded mix. The inclusion of Bengaluru – the only Tier I city in the list seems to reflect growing awareness and an acknowledgment of where the energy around women's cricket lies. Bengaluru isn't just a big city with a good stadium, it's one of the few Indian cities that has consistently shown up for women's cricket. It hosted two of the three WPL seasons so far with impressive turnouts driven in part by the home team Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but also including a genuine interest in the women's game. When India played South Africa in a three-match ODI series in June last year, the Chinnaswamy stands were once again filled. There was some criticism when early reports on venue selection left out Bengaluru, Mumbai, and even Vadodara, which had successfully hosted both WPL games and West Indies women's ODIs recently. Although there is value in expanding the game to new regions, the current mix is likely to ensure there is a smaller possibility of empty stands and damp atmospheres. It has happened before in India, most recently during the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup, where even stadiums in Ahmedabad and Lucknow struggled to fill seats, especially for non-India matches. That risk is higher when it comes to women's cricket which still battles for equal visibility. The tournament will open on September 30 in Bengaluru, and the first semi-final will be played on October 29, in either Guwahati or Colombo. The second semi-final is scheduled for October 30 in Bengaluru. As for the final, set for November 2, there's a caveat -- under an agreement between the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board, if Pakistan qualifies, the final will be hosted in Colombo. Otherwise, Bengaluru is likely to stage the final match. Now, the real test is whether this mix of venues can deliver not only entertaining cricket but also the kind of audience the women's game deserves.
