IPL 2026 reach up 7%, Google leads

JioStar’s IPL 2026 coverage has reached 1.06 billion viewers across television and digital platforms, up 7% from the same stage of last season, Moneycontrol reported on May 13, citing the broadcaster’s data. Connected TV reach rose 26% and consumption increased 20%, the report said. The figures cover the tournament through a comparable point in the season rather than the full event. TAM Sports data for the first 48 matches showed Google was the top advertiser across both linear television and connected TV, according to reports published on May 13 by Storyboard18 and ETBrandEquity. Linear TV ad volumes were indexed at 102.19 against 100 for IPL 2025 at the same stage, indicating a modest rise in commercial load despite a more fragmented viewing market. (moneycontrol.com) ### How big is the audience increase, and who is reporting it? Moneycontrol said JioStar described IPL 2026 as the biggest edition in the tournament’s history by reach so far, with combined TV and digital audiences at 1.06 billion. The report attributed the 7% increase to a like-for-like comparison with last season at the same point in the tournament. (storyboard18.com) Connected TV accounted for some of the sharpest gains. Moneycontrol reported that connected TV reach rose 26% year-on-year, while consumption on that screen increased 20%, showing that larger-screen streaming continued to expand alongside conventional television. (moneycontrol.com) ### Why does Google show up at the top of both TV and connected TV ad charts? Storyboard18 reported that TAM Sports tracked ad volumes across 25 linear TV channels and 12 connected TV language feeds between March 28 and May 5. That dataset excluded promos, fillers, short programmes and pre-match, mid-match and post-match programming, leaving only live-match commercial inventory in the comparison. (moneycontrol.com) Within that window, Google ranked as the top advertiser on both screens. ETBrandEquity reported that Reliance Consumer and Havells were also among the leading names in the TV and connected TV advertising mix during the first 48 matches. ### Which ad categories dominated each screen? (storyboard18.com) Connected TV and linear television showed different category mixes in the TAM Sports data. Storyboard18 said “Ecom-Other Services” was the top connected TV category with a 10.3% share of ad volumes, while automobiles, smartphones and FMCG-linked categories were also prominent on that screen. (brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com) Linear television remained led by mass-market categories. ETBrandEquity and Storyboard18 reported that mouth fresheners topped linear TV ad volumes, with paints and other broad-reach consumer categories also featuring prominently during the first 48 matches. ### Is ad growth keeping pace with audience growth? (storyboard18.com) TAM Sports’ index suggests advertising rose, but not at the same rate as the audience figure reported by JioStar. Storyboard18 said linear TV ad volumes were indexed at 102.19 for IPL 2026 versus 100 for IPL 2025, while Moneycontrol reported a 7% increase in combined reach across TV and digital. The two measures are not directly comparable because one tracks audience across platforms and the other tracks television ad volume only. (storyboard18.com) Earlier-season TAM Sports data had already pointed to a concentrated advertiser base. Storyboard18 reported on April 3 that TV ad volumes in the opening four matches were up 10% from IPL 2025 even as advertiser count fell 26% and categories declined 15%, suggesting bigger buyers were taking a larger share of inventory. (moneycontrol.com) ### What should advertisers and broadcasters watch next? The first 48-match snapshot runs through May 5, according to Storyboard18’s description of the TAM Sports sample. That means the next set of updates will show whether advertiser rankings and category shares changed as the tournament moved closer to the playoffs. (storyboard18.com) JioStar, Google, Reliance Consumer and Havells are likely to remain closely watched in the next phase because the remaining IPL 2026 matches will determine whether the early reach gains and ad-volume trends hold through the end of the season. (moneycontrol.com) (storyboard18.com)