Sponsorships account for 80% of Kaun Banega Crorepati ad sales as TV buying shifts

Brand sponsorships and content integrations now account for around 80% of advertising sales on Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), up from about 50% four years ago, reflecting a broader shift in television advertising away from conventional spot buying, according to Sony Pictures Networks India.

The remaining inventory is sold to spot buyers, who typically commit smaller advertising budgets than sponsors.

Akshay Agrawal, head of linear TV ad sales at Sony Pictures Networks India, said advertisers are increasingly seeking customised brand integrations on marquee entertainment properties rather than simply buying television inventory.

Also Read: Sony Pictures Networks India partners with Google Gemini for KBC

"These properties are not really bought for inventory or GRPs. They are basically bought for the integration solutions and bespoke solutions that we are able to craft for these brands on the shows," Agrawal said in an interview.

The changing sales mix comes at a time when the television industry is grappling with a ratings blackout and subdued advertising demand from fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, traditionally the medium's largest advertiser category.

According to Agrawal, the ratings suspension has had little impact on Sony's business so far because advertisers continue to rely on historical audience data while planning campaigns. The bigger challenge, he said, is the slowdown in FMCG spending, which has been exacerbated by geopolitical uncertainties.

Despite the broader market conditions, Sony has already signed more than 20 sponsors for the upcoming season of KBC, with around 80-85% of the show's inventory committed ahead of its August 10 launch. Agrawal said the broadcaster expects to close another three to four sponsorship deals before the first episode goes on air.

The strong advance bookings reflect Sony's broader strategy of pre-selling marquee entertainment properties through sponsorship packages, allowing the broadcaster to offer deeper brand integrations with a smaller pool of advertisers while leaving only a limited portion of inventory for tactical spot campaigns closer to Diwali.

While the latest season of Kaun Banega Crorepati has been expanded from 100 to 120 episodes, Sony has also signed seven to eight new sponsors, including Google Gemini, PhonePe, AU Small Finance Bank, BPCL, ReNew, Colgate, Jaguar Lights and Zed Black Agarbatti. The new advertiser lineup includes the technology category through Google Gemini and the clean energy category through ReNew.

BFSI continues to be the largest advertising category on KBC, followed by automobiles, e-commerce, technology, building materials and corporate partnerships.

The network is also seeing growing demand for cross-platform campaigns. Agrawal said about 50-55% of Sony's large advertising partnerships now span both television and digital platforms, with brands such as Google Gemini, PhonePe, Maruti and BPCL opting for integrated deals.

On the festive season outlook, Agrawal said it was too early to say whether television advertising would rebound after several subdued years. However, he expects the longer festive calendar this year and the emergence of newer advertiser categories such as technology to support demand for premium entertainment properties.