Advertising in IPL 2025 is under the spotlight—not for creativity or innovation, but for its irresponsibility. From pan masala to betting apps, the season’s ad slots are overflowing with content that raises ethical red flags.
Indians eagerly await the Indian Premier League (IPL) each year, and the excitement shows in the viewership numbers. IPL viewership has grown sharply over the years, with the 2024 season reaching 620 million viewers, an impressive jump from 449 million in 2023.
According to BARC data, over 253 million viewers tuned in for the opening weekend of IPL 2025 alone, watching a total of 2,770 crore minutes. That’s a 22% increase compared to the same time last year. The average television rating (TVR) for the first three matches rose by 39% compared to the previous season. With the season continuing until May 25, the numbers are expected to climb even higher.
This growing audience presents a massive opportunity for advertisers. Brands compete for screen time during matches, knowing they can reach millions. However, the kind of advertising being aired during IPL 2025 raises serious concerns.
IPL 2025: Brought to you by surrogate Pan Masala ads
IPL advertisements should ideally reflect the spirit of the sport, such as energy, health, and enthusiasm. Instead, viewers are constantly bombarded with ads promoting online fantasy gaming, gambling platforms, and most noticeably, pan masala. Among them, pan masala ads seem to have become the unofficial face of IPL advertising.
Despite regulations that prohibit direct tobacco promotion, pan masala brands continue to flood IPL airtime through surrogate advertising. These brands market products as mouth fresheners or digestives, masking their links to tobacco. Brands like Vimal Elaichi and Kamla Pasand appear frequently during matches, despite repeated warnings from health authorities.
Advertising in IPL 2025: Pan Masala ads take 13% of TV space
Surrogate ads for cardamom-flavoured mouth fresheners now make up 13% of all television advertising during this IPL season. This figure marks the highest share for any single category and raises concerns about the messages being sent to such a large pool of audience.
Between March 22 and April 23, pan masala brands contributed to 10% of the total ad volume in IPL 2024. Only two advertising categories were common to both IPL 2023 and IPL 2024, and pan masala remains one of them.
Brands like Rajshri Silver Coated Elaichi, Vimal Elaichi, and Kamla Pasand are making the most of IPL’s unmatched reach. This season, their combined spending on television advertisements touched ₹500 crore, up from ₹350 crore last year.
Betting platforms are in the race, too
The rise of offshore betting apps and fantasy platforms has only made things more complicated. In 2024, media reports noted that these platforms spent around ₹70 crore on IPL advertising. By using influencer marketing and surrogate promotions, they’ve managed to sidestep many of the existing regulations. They don’t advertise gambling directly. Instead, they push entertainment and excitement while nudging audiences toward betting.
Total ad spending during IPL 2023 crossed ₹10,000 crore. A significant part of that came from fantasy gaming apps. Dream11, PokerBaazi, and My11Circle appear in most ad breaks. These platforms also catch the attention of children and teenagers. What begins as a casual interest in cricket could quickly lead young viewers to high-risk financial consequences. A seemingly innocent bet on a fantasy sports app or a few rupees spent on an online gamble might seem trivial at first. But these small financial decisions can snowball into much larger losses.
Celebrities, cricket, and the cost of influence
Cricket, as a game, is associated with discipline, physical training, and wellness. But what kind of advertising are we seeing? Match after match, ad break after ad break, viewers are treated not to health tips or fitness routines, but to elaborately shot, slow-motion commercials featuring Bollywood stars and even star cricketers confidently chewing what is generously labelled a mouth freshener.
Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn, along with cricket legends such as Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag, have become the public faces of pan masala brands. Some other IPL team owners and former players have also joined this list.
What is troubling is not just the content of their endorsements but their disregard for the influence they hold. They should also be aware of the responsibility they choose to overlook. These celebrities know their reach spans across age groups, especially children and teenagers. When they promote gambling apps or pan masala under the guise of “mouth fresheners,” they normalise harmful habits for the next generation.
The IPL season will end soon, but the influence of these ads will last longer. More children and teenagers will walk away not just as cricket fans, but also as potential consumers of pan masala and gambling platforms. These are the ripple effects of the celebrity endorsements, which they’ve helped create knowingly or not.
All for a little extra profit.
Advertising in IPL 2025: Big game, bigger concerns
With millions of viewers tuning in, IPL plays a decisive role in shaping public perception. Advertisers and broadcasting partners must take greater responsibility in deciding what they promote during such high-impact events. Regulatory bodies may need to step in more firmly if current guidelines continue to be ignored. The government, broadcasters, and celebrities alike must play their part in creating a responsible, more ethical media environment.
Moreover, as consumers, we continue to passively accept what is put in front of us. Hence, we are just as guilty of keeping the cycle going. So, it is time we all take responsibility for the media we create as well as consume.
At Changeincontent, we have previously examined how top-tier leagues continue to exclude women from sports. You can read that piece on the ignorance of women in sports here.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the writer’s insights, supported by data and resources available both online and offline, as applicable. Changeincontent.com is committed to promoting inclusivity across all forms of content. We broadly define inclusivity as media, policies, law, and history, encompassing all elements that influence the lives of women and marginalised individuals. Our goal is to promote understanding and advocate for comprehensive inclusivity.
