Despite a surge in advertisers during the ongoing 2025 season of the TATA Indian Premier League, only a quarter of the 200 brands tracked have managed to cross the 4% recall mark, a new study released by CrispInsight and Kadence reveals.
According to Week 2 findings from the ongoing eDART-IPL25 study, which delves into brand visibility across categories, payment service brands and electronics have seen relatively strong recall, particularly among viewers with a pre-existing interest in those segments.
Additionally, while the IPL may be well into its eighteenth season, when it comes to fan loyalty, it is STILL centred around iconic players rather than the franchises that compete in world cricket’s biggest annual jamboree, the study reveals. According to the study, 98% of viewers have a favourite player, yet only 37% express a clear preference for any team, highlighting the stronger emotional connection audiences have with individual cricketers.
“Brands that integrate themselves meaningfully within the IPL experience — through team sponsorships, stadium branding, or player endorsements — stand out far more than those relying solely on ad volume,” states Aman Makkar, Kadence International. “Player-driven brand storytelling is clearly outperforming traditional formats in terms of both recall and emotional engagement.”
Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni remain the most admired, with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rishabh Pant climbing into the top 10 rankings for the week.
On the team front, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) continue to lead fan allegiance within their home territories.
91% of RCB’s catchment area fans name it as their first or second favourite team, followed closely by MI and CSK.
“Fan sentiment doesn’t shift as easily as match scores,” said Ritesh Ghosal, partner, CrispInsight. “The consistency of legacy players (read stars) and franchises keeps them at the top of mind — and that’s gold for brands looking to build lasting connections with IPL audiences.”
The report also highlights the importance of the IPL superfan segment, which, though just 15% of the total audience, contributes disproportionately to viewership and brand engagement.
These superfans are more likely to recall associated players, teams, and advertisers—making them a crucial audience for high-impact brand campaigns.
