What would happen if surrogate advertisements were banned during IPL?

Picture this: you settle in for the evening's IPL showdown between your favourite teams. The match begins, and soon after, it cuts to the first advertisement. On screen, Salman Khan is seen opening a packet of Rajshree Silver Coated Elaichi. Before you can even process the irony of the personality promoting what is a tobacco product, the next ad appears with celebrities like Ajay Devgn and Shah Rukh Khan sharing a packet of Vimal Pan Masala. This is followed by another ad bombarding viewers with Ranbir Kapoor and Aamir Khan bantering over their Dream11 fantasy teams. The pattern repeats throughout the evening.

Almost every third ad on IPL 2025 is either a pan masala or a promotion for a betting app. What makes this troubling is its timing. Less than two weeks before the IPL season began, the Union Health Ministry formally requested tournament organisers to implement a comprehensive ban on tobacco and alcohol advertising, including surrogate promotions. Director General of Health Services Dr. Atul Goel wrote to IPL Chairperson Arun Singh Dhumal, highlighting the health crisis these products fuel and the contradictory message sent when they are promoted through sports.

Yet, nothing has changed. The cricket and the ads continue.

According to TAM Media Research, the top five advertisers contributed 30% of the overall ad volumes in the first five matches of IPL 2025. Sporta Technologies (Dream11.com) maintained a 4% share, while Vishnu Packaging (Vimal Elaichi) commanded a 6% share. The data shows Rajshree Silver Coated Elaichi emerging as a new entrant, while e-commerce gaming maintained a substantial 10% share in the advertising landscape.

Reports note that pan masala brands invested approximately Rs. 350 crore across television and digital platforms during IPL 2024, making up an estimated 50% of their annual advertising budgets. Vishnu Packaging (Vimal Elaichi Pan Masala) and K P Pan Foods (Kamla Pasand Silver Coated Elaichi) were among the top five advertisers during the 2024 season.

The health implications are detrimental. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco-related products claim approximately 13 lakh Indian lives annually. Research also indicates that gutka is responsible for 80% of India's oral cancer cases. 

Although alcohol and tobacco advertising invest less than 2% of India's overall ad spend, these categories invest heavily in IPL. Reports suggest that these brands spend between Rs. 300-500 crore per season on partnerships and in-stadium promotions.

The gambling ecosystem has its own concerns. According to reports, illegal betting and gambling activities in India account for 1.6 billion visits in just three months across four sites. The organic search traffic to these sites crossed 184 million visits and exceeds the traffic driven by social media platforms, at around 42.8 million visits. This number doesn’t bode well for users. Reportedly, 60% of players lose money in real-money games. 

Given that JioStar reportedly aims to generate Rs. 5,000 crores in advertising revenues this year from the tournament and has secured sponsors, including My11Circle, among others, this is concerning. In his letter, Dr. Atul Goel emphasised the influential role cricketers play as role models promoting healthy lifestyles and the IPL's social responsibility as India's premier sporting platform.

Despite these efforts, advertising patterns have shown minimal change. However, if these product advertisements are to be banned, how could it affect IPL’s revenues? 

What if surrogate advertisements were banned?

"I think there will be a sizable impact given that these categories tend to be fairly media heavy," notes Lloyd Mathias, Marketing Expert and Independent Director, when asked about potential restrictions on these advertisements. "But also the fact that, since at some level, these categories are already being restricted, it may not be as heavy as we expect right now."

Anshu Yardi, Vice President of Business Partnerships & Communication at TAM Media Research, shares, "The stricter self-regulations on tobacco and alcohol industry advertising may impact the stakeholders, but only on the limited share of airtime that surrogate brands use in mass media today. A similar absence of liquor brand advertisements during IPL 2023 had led to a 70% decline in surrogate advertising."

The relationship between cricket stars and these product categories has deep roots. Personalities including Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah have been ambassadors for Royal Stag, while Virat Kohli has represented Royal Challenge – both brands are widely recognised for their association with alcoholic beverages while advertising through alternative products.

Cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag and Kapil Dev have all appeared in advertisements for Kamla Pasand and Bollywood celebrities still frequently appear in similar campaigns.

This relationship faced public scrutiny in 2024 when a consumer petition questioned how saffron worth Rs. 4 lakh per kilogram could be included in a Rs. 5 pan masala product advertised by Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgan, and Tiger Shroff, leading to a court notice.

How would brands adapt?

Industry professionals anticipate significant adjustments if restrictions tighten. Praful Akali, Founder & Managing Director, Medulla Communications, mentions, "The ban will have an impact if fully enforced," particularly considering the recent Jio-Hotstar merger and the broadcaster's need to recoup substantial investments.

He identifies emerging alternatives and continues, "Influencer partnerships will be a big one for certain. After the success of ColdPlay and Maroon 5, and with District and BookMyShow going head-to-head, I think concert sponsorships and taking that content online will be a big investment area too going forward."

Lloyd Mathias points to evolving marketing approaches already underway.  Alcohol and cigarettes involve themselves in experiential marketing, and he believes if restrictions are tightened, they will double down on that.

Market gap and enforcement challenges

The potential absence of these advertising categories creates market opportunities. There are always new emerging categories. Mathias observes, "For example, today, gaming still goes. There are categories like e-commerce and various other categories that are fairly active. This also is a peak period for the beverage category, for a lot of fast-moving consumer goods."

Yardi adds, "This reduction may well be a boon for other advertising categories to buy airtime in Live Broadcast and Streaming of tent pole events like IPL. There is a potential for alternative sponsorship from emerging sectors such as Technology, E-commerce, and Fin-Tech, which are increasingly investing in sports sponsorships."

However, enforcement presents complex challenges. According to TAM Media Research, these include "brand tactics like marketing permissible products under restricted brand names, digital loopholes enabling indirect promotions via influencers, and jurisdictional limits on offshore betting firms. Regulatory bodies also face resource constraints in monitoring vast digital content."

Rutu Mody Kamdar, Founder, Jigsaw Brand Consultants, believes the potential shift is transformative rather than destructive.

"The IPL has always been a magnet for big-money advertisers, and this move forces a recalibration. While tobacco, alcohol, and crypto brands have propped up IPL's ad revenue for years, their exit doesn't spell doom. It just means the game has to change."

She continues, "The gap will likely be filled by brands that see IPL as a mass reach vehicle, fintech, edtech, and new-age consumer brands looking for scale. But will they pay as much? Unlikely."

Regulation and responsibility

Hamsini Shivakumar, Founder-Director of Leapfrog Strategy Consulting, notes coordinated efforts between regulators and alcohol companies.

"The government is working with senior leaders in the alcobev industry to more tightly regulate what is permitted and what is not. They have taken the industry's views so all are aligned."

The regulatory landscape continues evolving across international markets. While South Africa has implemented complete bans on betting and gambling platform advertisements, and Australia has nearly eliminated tobacco promotions, including surrogate advertising, India's approach remains in development.

According to Mathias, regulatory pushes always work as a containment, but they don't necessarily stop it completely. However, they are likely to put more pressure on all the broadcasters. 

Kamdar believes that the real test is for the BCCI on how strictly this will be enforced. “If history is anything to go by, brands will find workarounds, and we might see the rise of a new, more creative version of indirect advertising,” she continues.

As IPL 2025 unfolds, the battle between advertising revenue, public health concerns, and regulatory oversight continues. Despite repeated calls for stricter enforcement, surrogate advertising remains an integral part of the tournaments. However, while a ban on tobacco, alcohol, and betting-related promotions could reshape IPL’s ad ecosystem, brands will inevitably find new ways to reach audiences.