Quick commerce and D2C brands rewriting India's TV Ad landscape, study reveals
Despite India having over 500 million gamers, the gaming sector only utilized 18.5 million seconds of television ad time in 2024. This reflects a 387 percent increase from 2017 but still underscores a major volume-to-engagement disconnect.
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India’s television advertising landscape is undergoing a massive transformation, with Quick Commerce and Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands emerging as the fastest-growing sectors. With over 76 million seconds of annual advertising time shifting between categories since 2019 reveals how pandemic-induced disruptions, consumer behavior shifts, and digital-first strategies have driven major reallocations in advertising volumes across categories.
According to a comprehensive new study by MediaPro Research Technologies Pvt. Ltd spanning from 2017 to 2024, Film trailers, once a dominant presence on Indian television, have seen their advertising volume plummet by 38.6 percent. In 2019, the category accounted for 52.3 million seconds of TV ad time. However, by 2024, this figure had declined to just 32.1 million seconds.
The most significant drop occurred during the pandemic year of 2020, when the volume fell to 15.8 million seconds, representing a 70 percent decline. The structural shift away from television appears permanent, with over 20 million seconds of inventory no longer used by film promotions. Unlike other categories that rebounded post-COVID, film promotion has firmly migrated to digital-first strategies. Despite this trend, South Indian films have retained a stronger presence on television compared to Bollywood productions.
EdTech experienced one of the most dramatic volume cycles in Indian TV advertising history. In 2019, EdTech accounted for just 5.2 million seconds of TV ad time. This surged to a staggering 68.9 million seconds in 2021, marking a 1,225 percent increase. At its peak, EdTech consumed more television ad time than any other emerging category, with Byju’s contributing significantly to this surge.
However, between 2021 and 2024, the category experienced an 81 percent decline, plummeting to 12.8 million seconds. This decline has freed up 56.1 million seconds of TV inventory, creating downward pricing pressure across the advertising ecosystem. The sharp fall also reflects unsustainable volume-to-conversion ratios, offering a cautionary tale for other high-growth categories.
Quick commerce has emerged as the most successful new entrant in India's TV advertising space. Having no presence before 2020, the category debuted with 2.8 million seconds and skyrocketed to 52.3 million seconds in 2024, making it the highest-volume category among those analyzed.
Its growth has been additive to the TV advertising ecosystem, rather than replacing existing categories. High advertising revenue margins, estimated between 90 to 95 percent, make television investments sustainable for quick commerce brands. The category continues to scale across dayparts and channels, signaling untapped growth potential.
The travel and tourism sector has seen a long-term decline in television advertising. In 2019, the category commanded 43.8 million seconds of ad time. During the pandemic, this dropped sharply to 5.2 million seconds—an 88 percent fall. Although some recovery occurred, 2024 volumes reached only 25.1 million seconds, representing just 57.3 percent of pre-COVID levels.
A total of 18.7 million seconds appears to have been permanently reallocated. This shift coincided with a 36 percent increase in print advertising and a strategic focus on performance-driven digital campaigns, signaling a long-term media mix realignment by travel brands.
Despite India having over 500 million gamers, the gaming sector only utilized 18.5 million seconds of television ad time in 2024. This reflects a 387 percent increase from 2017 but still underscores a major volume-to-engagement disconnect. By comparison, the newer quick commerce category commands more than double the volume. Based on current engagement levels, gaming has the potential to expand to 50–75 million seconds annually.
With EdTech withdrawing from television, gaming has a clear opportunity to capture this vacated inventory. Given its appeal among younger demographics who spend more time gaming than watching linear TV, the return on investment potential is high.
Floor cleaners have evolved from a niche category into a mainstream television advertiser. In 2019, the category used 14.2 million seconds of TV ad time. This surged to 41.2 million seconds in 2021, before stabilizing at 34.7 million seconds in 2024—still 144 percent higher than pre-COVID levels.
This permanent gain of 20.5 million seconds reflects sustained consumer concern for hygiene, which took root during the pandemic. Harpic Power Plus emerged as the top brand in the category, commanding substantial TV advertising seconds.
Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands have increasingly adopted television as part of their broader media strategy. From just 0.8 million seconds in 2017, D2C advertising volumes grew to 38.4 million seconds in 2024, marking a 4,700 percent increase. These brands, originally reliant on digital platforms, are now using television to build credibility and reach more mainstream audiences. The category’s steady adoption of television has led to its presence across multiple dayparts and channels.
As of 2024, Quick Commerce leads with 52.3 million seconds of ad time, followed by D2C Brands at 38.4 million seconds. Floor Cleaners take third place with 34.7 million seconds, while Film Trailers remain at 32.1 million seconds. Travel and Tourism come in at 25.1 million seconds, Gaming at 18.5 million seconds, and EdTech trails with 12.8 million seconds. Combined, these seven categories account for 213.9 million seconds of total TV advertising time.
The study identifies key volume opportunities for growth, especially in the gaming sector, which has the potential to absorb more than 30 million seconds of inventory. With EdTech’s withdrawal freeing up 56 million seconds and the film trailer category vacating premium ad slots, emerging sectors now have unprecedented access to high-value inventory. Regional markets, particularly in South India, are showing distinct patterns that deviate from national trends, offering targeted opportunities.
Television broadcasters are facing a major shift in inventory management as category turnover impacts pricing dynamics. Volume withdrawals from legacy sectors have led to downward pressure on ad rates, while newer categories are pushing for better volume-to-impact insights. Advertisers are increasingly seeking efficiency metrics that go beyond traditional reach and frequency models.
This volume transformation reflects the most significant reallocation in the history of Indian television advertising. It marks a critical juncture for media professionals, who now have the opportunity—and challenge—of strategically guiding future ad investments in a reshaped ecosystem.
