Television advertising volumes recorded a 7 per cent decline in the January-July period of 2026 compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, according to estimates released by research firm TAM AdEx. The data points to a period of strategic recalibration in overall advertiser spending across television platforms.
Reckitt India, Hindustan Unilever, and Godrej Consumer Products emerged as the top three advertisers on television by ad volume during the seven-month period. They were followed in the top ten list by Mondelez India, Coca-Cola India, Nestle India, P&G India, Wipro Enterprises, Britannia Industries, and Google. Together, these ten major players accounted for 43 per cent of the total television ad volumes during the period.
The TAM AdEx report noted that the drop follows a previous 9 per cent decrease recorded in January-July 2025 over January-July 2024, indicating a modest ongoing correction in ad volumes.
In terms of product categories, soaps, floor and toilet cleaners, e-commerce segments—including entertainment, social media, and media—chocolates, and toothpastes were the top five most advertised categories. They were followed by washing powders and liquids, biscuits, milk beverages, aerated soft drinks, and jewellery retail outlets to complete the top ten. The top ten categories collectively comprised a 33 per cent share of ad volumes during the January-July 2026 period, with biscuits entering the top ten rankings for the first time.
By sector, food and beverage led the market with a 23 per cent share of overall ad volumes, followed closely by services and the personal care and hygiene sectors.
Among genre breakdowns, General Entertainment Channels maintained their lead with a 30 per cent share of ad volumes, while news channels captured 25 per cent.
Despite the overall volume contraction, select segments registered notable growth. The report highlighted that 150 categories witnessed an increase in ad volumes. Specifically, the e-commerce category expanded its ad spend by nearly 10.2 times during the January-July period compared to the previous year. Additionally, ad volumes for biscuits grew by approximately 2.1 times.
"The data from TAM AdEx reflects a broader recalibration in corporate marketing budgets, where brands are carefully evaluating their television ad spends. While overall volumes have contracted by 7 per cent, the sharp growth in specific sectors like e-commerce and new category entrants like biscuits demonstrate that companies continue to deploy targeted capital where consumer demand remains resilient. For businesses and emerging brands, understanding these shifting media consumption patterns is critical for optimizing customer acquisition costs." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
