Stories
Brands Splurge on CTV This Diwali as Ad Rates Jump Up to 30 Percent
- •Connected TV (CTV) ad rates have surged by up to 30 percent for video and OEM home page placements this festive season due to limited top-tier inventory.
- •Despite the price hike, overall rates remain slightly lower than last year because the CTV audience base has nearly doubled, growing from 30 million to 60 million.
- •CTV viewership is expanding rapidly beyond metros, with rural areas seeing a 110 percent year-on-year increase in viewership.
- •Quick commerce brands are increasingly investing in CTV for brand building and product discovery, linking big-screen awareness with mobile-driven purchases.
- •Industry experts note that while audience growth is strong, the future test for CTV pricing will depend heavily on improved measurement, interoperability, and transparency infrastructure.
Key Questions Answered
Connected TV (CTV) cost per thousand impressions (CPM) have increased by up to 20% compared to the period right before the festive season. Furthermore, video and OEM home page placements that feature brands the moment users turn on their TV sets have seen price spikes of up to 30%.
Datum estimates that quick-commerce advertising could reach approximately ₹2,200 crore during the 2026 festive period. This represents a year-on-year increase of around 50%, making it one of the fastest-growing sectors within festive advertising as brands increasingly use Connected TV to drive discovery and mobile conversions.
According to reports by WPP Media and The Trade Desk based on Ormax Media research, CTV viewership has reached 207 million viewers across roughly 62 million to 65 million households, which is about three times the level seen in 2022. Overall, the active CTV audience has nearly doubled from 30 million to 60 million.
