Superstar Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) seems to be the most visible during this IPL season as he reigned supreme with a 12% share of ad volumes spanning the first 37 matches of IPL this season, according to data culled from TAM Sports.He was followed by Ajay Devgn, who mopped up 7% share in the overall ad volume. Other top celebrity endorsers include cricketers – Virendra Sehwag, Ravichandran Ashwin and Hardik Pandya – at 4% share each. In the last season, Bollywood star Aamir Khan had topped the list with 10% share.
Interestingly, sportsmen claimed a majority of brand endorsements during IPL 17, representing 50% of ad volumes, with Bollywood actors following at 36%. In the previous IPL season, Bollywood actors had a majority share of 53%, followed by sports personalities at 39%.
Brands are cashing in on the high eyeballs. Among top advertising brands in this edition include ecomm-gaming, pan masala, soft drinks and face wash.
This IPL season, TV viewership has already broken all previous records at the halfway mark and surpassed the pre-Covid (2019) level. Disney Star, citing the latest BARC data, had recently said the viewership for first 34 matches totalled nearly 45.9 crore, highest ever across all editions.
“Advertisers use celebrities for their brand endorsements who are high in their target segment’s popularity ranking. This is further aided by the celeb’s continuous presence in media, thus giving the celeb’s face a further filip to their ease of recognition,” LV Krishnan CEO Tam Media Research told TOI.
Industry experts say SRK charges a brand endorsement fee of Rs 3 to 5 cr each. He endorses Joy face wash, Ultratech cement, Vanesa deodorant, and Vimal pan masala. They added SRK is the most visible brand this year. “There has been a revival of ‘brand SRK’ riding on the success of his movie hits in 2023. The perception of brand SRK has undergone a transformation. Earlier companies used him as a quintessential romantic. Now it’s upscale, stylish and prestigious,” says Sandeep Goyal, chairman Rediffusion.
