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India TV ad volumes fall 7% as FMCG brands shift budgets to digital
India TV ad volumes fell 7% in January-July as consumer brands shifted budgets toward digital and point-of-sale media. FMCG remained dominant, led by Reckitt Benckiser India, HUL and Godrej Consumer Products, while broadcasters reported weaker ad revenue.
The numbers
Figures from ET Small Business,
| TV advertising volumes declined 7% in January-July | 2026 year-on-year |
|---|---|
| TV ad volumes fell 9% in January-July | 2025 |
| Linear TV ad revenue fell 10.3% in | 2025 |
| Zee Q1 ad revenue fell 11% to | ₹671 crore |
Why it matters for the brand
FMCG operators should rebalance media plans toward digital and point-of-sale channels while preserving TV for high-reach launches and mass-market campaigns.
What to track next
- Festive-quarter TV ad-volume and effective-rate trends versus January-July performance
- FMCG digital-spend growth, especially on quick-commerce, marketplaces, retail media and connected TV
- Share of FMCG advertising attributable to HUL, Reckitt Benckiser India and Godrej Consumer Products
- Broadcaster quarterly ad revenue, inventory fill rates, yield and digital-streaming revenue growth
- Major cricket, entertainment and election-related ad demand that could temporarily tighten premium TV inventory
The counter-case
The case against this reading — not reported by the source.
A 7% decline in TV ad volumes does not necessarily mean FMCG brands are abandoning television or that TV budgets are shrinking by the same amount. Brands may be buying fewer but higher-priced premium spots, concentrating campaigns around major programming, or reducing low-value inventory while maintaining effective reach. Digital and point-of-sale spending may be incremental rather than directly funded by TV cuts.
The source
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