Posted on 30th Mar 2026
source :e4m
As the Indian Premier League (IPL) returns this year, brands are sharpening their playbooks to maximise visibility across a fragmented yet high-impact media ecosystem. Conversations with marketers indicate that while IPL continues to be a tentpole property in annual plans, the approach has become more calibrated, with a sharper focus on format mix, measurable outcomes, and integrated storytelling.
IPL continues to be a key moment for scale, but not a standalone play. Brands are using it as an amplifier within always-on strategies to boost ongoing campaigns, launches, and seasonal pushes, with its role varying across categories from primary visibility driver to a complement to digital-led efforts.Engagement strategies are becoming more diversified, moving beyond TV to a mix of broadcast, digital, team sponsorships, and on-ground activations. The tilt is increasingly towards digital formats like OTT, influencer-led content, and interactive experiences, while broadcast delivers scale and on-ground builds deeper connect.
Spends, meanwhile, are more measured. While IPL still commands a significant share of marketing budgets, brands are focusing on ROI through selective sponsorships, data-led targeting, and a balanced mix of high-impact and performance-driven formats amid rising costs.
Industry experts indicate that IPL commands a meaningful share of annual marketing budgets, with brands allocating roughly 5% to 15% based on category and objectives. Based on brand disclosures this season, the average allocation is estimated to be in the 8–12% range, underscoring IPL’s role as a high-impact, short-duration property within broader marketing strategies.
Setting the context for rising costs and competition, Amyn Ghadiali, Country Head at Gozoop Creative, noted that IPL continues to function like prime-time real estate, with demand outpacing supply. Ad rates are up 12–18% YoY, with premium inventory such as playoffs and finals seeing 20–25% spikes, while digital, especially CTV, has witnessed a 15–20% rise in CPMs driven by improved targeting and attribution.
“This is one of the few platforms still delivering 400 to 500 million reach at speed. That kind of scale commands a premium,” Ghadiali said.
Brands
Against this backdrop of rising costs and evolving formats, brands are leaning into partnerships and integrations to extract greater value from the platform. Several have partnered with teams or the league to boost engagement and extend reach.
Kausalya Nandakumar, Chief Business Officer – Emerging Mobility Business Unit, Hero MotoCorp said, “IPL remains a high-impact platform in our marketing mix, helping us drive scale while building strong cultural relevance. This year, as the Title Partner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, we are focusing on purpose-led and fan-first engagement.”
He added that the brand’s ‘6 for 6’ campaign links every six hit to the installation of a 6kW fast charger, tying on-field moments to EV infrastructure growth. It is also deepening fan connect through the VIDA VX2 KKR Knight Edition, while adopting a hybrid media approach that combines broadcast scale with digital-first engagement.
Similarly, financial services players are leveraging IPL for full-funnel impact. Divya Prakash Singhal, Head - Branding and Marketing at Utkarsh Small Finance Bank Limited, said IPL plays a high-impact role in the brand’s marketing mix, acting as a catalyst for awareness, trust, and deeper consumer connect. He added that its partnership with Mumbai Indians enables purpose-led engagement through storytelling, integrated on-ground and digital presence, and emotion-driven campaigns, aligning brand salience with business outcomes.
“IPL accounts for approximately 10–15% of our overall marketing investments this year, positioning it as a key strategic component of our marketing portfolio,” Singhal said. “We view IPL as a value multiplier, one that accelerates brand visibility, strengthens engagement, and supports lead generation. Our investment approach is carefully optimized to deliver impact across the full funnel, from top-of-mind awareness to meaningful customer consideration and conversion.”
Beyond traditional media, new-age platforms are also tapping into IPL’s cultural moment.
KRAFTON India is seeing meaningful in-game investments this season. Seddharth Merrotra, Head of Business Development and Partnerships, KRAFTON India explained, “T20 cricket season is one of India’s biggest cultural phases, and for us, it's not about being just another brand shouting from the sidelines. Our partnerships with Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders are built around taking the cricket experience inside India’s most loved game.”
He added that integrations within Battlegrounds Mobile India are driving deeper engagement than traditional formats, with features like in-game photo booths enabling fans to interact with franchises in new ways, signalling a shift from passive visibility to active participation.
Legacy and consumer brands, too, are rethinking their approach. Jaypee Group said IPL remains a significant part of its marketing investments due to the scale of attention it commands, but is now being integrated with digital, retail, and partnership-led efforts to drive full-funnel outcomes.
The spokesperson from Jaypee Group said, “IPL continues to be a high-impact moment within our marketing mix, but our approach this year is far more integrated than a traditional sponsorship.” The company said it is leveraging IPL’s scale while anchoring communication in everyday consumption moments such as hydration, mobility, and daily routines. It added that the focus remains on contextual storytelling over visibility, aligning messaging with how consumers engage with cricket to drive deeper relevance, engagement, and action.
Seasonality is also shaping IPL strategies. Livpure said IPL accounts for 5–8% of its annual marketing spends, offering strong nationwide visibility ahead of peak summer demand for hydration and wellness products. “With an expected viewership of over 600 to 700 million each across television and digital, the tournament plays a strategic role in strengthening visibility for Livpure ahead of the summer season when demand for hydration, cooling, and wellness living solutions rises,” said Nitin Malhotra, Chief Marketing Officer, Livpure.
Fintech player Navi Limited, meanwhile, is treating IPL as part of its BAU marketing, with incremental spends during the season. The brand noted that its role as official payments partner for three teams allows it to move beyond visibility through deeper integrations across social and on-ground touchpoints.
“For us, the focus is on how the brand shows up during the season and how we engage with fans and users during key moments. In terms of the brand standing out, you will see more from us very soon over the course of the tournament,” said Sumanka Gandhi, Head of Brand at Navi.
For newer brands, IPL is also a platform to build cultural relevance. Scapia said the tournament enables deeper engagement with Gen Z and millennial audiences through experience-led formats, while GREW Solar is using the platform to embed clean energy narratives within a culturally powerful moment.
Vinay Thadani, Director and CEO at GREW Solar, said the brand is leveraging cricket’s emotional pull to position solar as a conscious consumer choice, building a long-term narrative across touchpoints. “We don't see this as a campaign with a start and end date - we see it as a catalyst. One that builds visibility today and equity for years to come, right at the heart of India's renewable energy transition,” he added.
Meanwhile, CP Plus is amplifying its presence through regionally tailored campaigns featuring Vijay Sethupathi and Prithviraj Sukumaran, alongside high-visibility transit media, positioning IPL as a cultural amplifier rather than just a media vehicle.
Aditya Khemka, Managing Director, CP PLUS (Aditya Infotech Ltd.) said, “The IPL, in this context, becomes more than a media vehicle. It transforms into a cultural amplifier, allowing us to weave CP PLUS into the collective consciousness of millions, reinforcing our positioning as a trusted, Made-in-Bharat security leader.”
Similarly, Ai+ Smartphone is leveraging IPL partnerships with Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders to drive full-funnel impact for its Nova 2 Series launch.
Madhav Sheth, CEO Ai+ Smartphone and Founder of NxtQuantum Shift Technologies added, “IPL is a very significant part of our overall marketing investments this year. It offers a unique combination of scale, cultural relevance, and engagement, which makes it a key platform for us, especially around a major launch window.”
While KT Professional is using the platform as a foundational lever for rapid market penetration of KT Men, backed by performance-led tracking of engagement and conversions. Dhruv Sayani, Founder at KT Professional noted, “Every rupee spent during IPL is being tracked against key outcomes such as brand recall, engagement, conversion to sales, and repeat purchase behaviour.”
Ghadiali further explained that higher spends alone are no longer effective in IPL, with real-time, contextual content delivering 1.5–3x higher engagement than traditional TVCs, as brands prioritise speed and relevance over scale.
Media formats
Experts noted a clear shift this IPL from buying space to buying impact, with CTV, digital, and integrations gaining prominence, while traditional spot buys become increasingly commoditised.
Ghadiali said, “Many brands are moving to a 60:40 or even 70:30 digital-heavy mix; especially when they're chasing younger audiences. From GRPs to real relevance. And every media plan that hasn't made that shift is already behind.”
This shift is reflected in execution strategies across brands. Livpure, Utkarsh Small Finance Bank, and CP Plus are deploying 360-degree media plans spanning digital, OTT, on-ground activations, influencer collaborations, and PR.
Navi is prioritising a focused mix of TV for scale and digital for precision, while Scapia is adopting a digital-first, experience-led approach combining social, influencers, and real-world activations. “We’re combining digital and social with real-world activations to create a more connected journey. This includes influencer-led content, real-time engagement around match moments, and on-ground activations across key touchpoints like streets and malls,” said a spokesperson from Scapia. They added that while broadcast delivers scale, the focus is on formats that drive interaction, agility, and measurable impact, with an emphasis on seamlessly bridging digital engagement and real-world experiences.
Jaypee Group is balancing digital-led engagement with high-visibility physical formats like billboards, while KT Professionals is adopting a content-first, integrated strategy across digital, influencer, and on-ground experiences, supported by performance marketing to convert IPL-driven awareness into sales.
Overall, IPL 2026 underscores a clear shift from scale-first advertising to outcome-driven engagement. While the tournament continues to deliver unmatched reach, brands are increasingly focused on how effectively that attention is converted into relevance, interaction, and business impact.
As media mixes evolve and costs rise, the winning playbooks are no longer about outspending competitors, but out-executing them through sharper storytelling, smarter integrations, and full-funnel thinking. In that sense, IPL is no longer just a media buy, it is a strategic platform where brand, content, commerce, and culture converge.