Auto, liquor brands lead FIFA World Cup 2026 ad race; Mahindra tops CTV, United Spirits rules linear TV
TAM Sports data shows Mahindra & Mahindra commanding 24% of CTV ad volume while United Spirits led linear TV. Auto, liquor and jewellery (Candere, Kalyan) dominated volumes, with the liquor category holding 40% share. Linear TV ad volume slipped 14% versus the 2022 edition as spend shifted to connected TV.
What happened
TAM Sports data shows Mahindra & Mahindra led FIFA World Cup 2026 CTV advertising while United Spirits topped linear TV. Auto, liquor and jewellery
Key facts
- 24% CTV ad volume share (Mahindra brands)
- 30% linear TV share
- 42% top-5 brands volume
- 40% liquor category share
- 69% linear TV top-5 share
- 93% top-5 categories LTV
- 57% top-5 CTV
- 14% linear TV volume drop
- $60 million (FIFA WC 2022 rights)
Why this matters
Auto, liquor and jewellery advertisers' concentration around World Cup CTV inventory highlights partnership and acquisition targets in connected-TV measurement and premium video ad-sales capabilities.
What to watch
- ASCI/MIB advisories on surrogate liquor advertising during the tournament
- CTV vs linear CPM spread and reach data releases from TAM/BARC
- Match-schedule India timeslots driving prime-time linear demand
- New category entrants (fintech, gaming, e-commerce) taking share from auto/liquor
- Streaming platform subscriber and ad-tier growth numbers
- FMCG and telecom challengers benchmark against Mahindra's CTV dominance and pre-book connected TV inventory early
- United Spirits and liquor peers diversify surrogate creative vehicles to hedge regulatory exposure
- Broadcasters package integrated linear+CTV deals to defend against volume slippage
- Jewellery brands (Kalyan, Candere) expand sports-media presence to ride festive-plus-tournament overlap
Also reported by
- BL · Consumer & Economy — Same time