A new report by TAM Sports has revealed that Google emerged as the leading advertiser across both Connected TV (CTV) and Linear TV during IPL 2026, reflecting the growing convergence between digital and traditional sports advertising.
The report tracked ad volumes across 43 live IPL matches played between March 28 and May 1, analysing 25 Linear TV channels and 12 language feeds on Connected TV platforms. Promotional fillers and studio programming were excluded from the study.
On Connected TV, Ecom-Other Services emerged as the top advertising category with a 10.7% share of ad volumes. Other major categories included cars, smartphones, air conditioners, and paints. In contrast, Linear TV continued to be dominated by traditional mass-market advertisers, with Mouth Fresheners leading the category share, followed by e-commerce services, financial institutions, paints, and energy drinks.
Google held a dominant position across both platforms, accounting for 15.3% of ad volumes on CTV and 11.04% on Linear TV. Other prominent advertisers included Havells India, Amazon, Reliance Consumer Products, and Grasim Industries.
The report also highlighted significant overlap between the two mediums, with 35 common advertising categories and 30 shared advertisers appearing across both CTV and television broadcasts.
Interestingly, CTV attracted more digital-first and service-driven categories such as credit cards, fast-food chains, hotels, and astrology services, while Linear TV retained stronger participation from legacy FMCG sectors like chocolates, jewellery, perfumes, and sweeteners.
The findings underline how IPL continues to evolve into a multi-platform advertising powerhouse.
