Ananya Panday Outshines Dhoni in IPL 2025 Ad Wars: Is Star Power Shrinking but Shining Brighter?

The IPL 2025 season hasn't just been a cricketing spectacle it’s also been a masterclass in modern advertising. As millions tune in to watch their favorite teams battle it out, brands are locking in prime ad slots and celebrities are still the weapon of choice. But this season, the numbers reveal a shifting pattern in star-driven advertising.

Star Stats & Celebrity Dominance:Data from live match broadcasts revealed that celebrity-led ads made up 61% of all ads during IPL 2025 matching last year’s percentage but with a slight uptick in total volume. And the most visible face this time? Ananya Panday, surpassing even long-time ad kings like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan, contributing a 9% share of total ad time.

Cricketers as Co-Stars in Ads:On the sports side, MS Dhoni remained the undisputed leader with a 15.1% share among athlete-led ads. Young guns like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, Rinku Singh, and Ruturaj Gaikwad emerged as strong contenders, each holding around 8–10% share.

Fewer Faces, More Screen Time:Here’s where it gets interesting—while total ad volumes grew, the number of unique celebrity endorsers actually fell from over 65 last season to just 45 this year. Brands are clearly shifting towards quality over quantity, aiming for deeper audience associations with fewer, but more prominent, personalities.

What’s Selling with Celebs?From biscuits to pan masala, and face wash to gaming apps, just five categories alone drove over 70% of celeb-led ad time. Some of the biggest spenders in this space included Dream11, Playgames24x7, Parle, Vishnu Packaging, and K P Pan Foods.

Conclusion:IPL advertising has officially graduated into a world of strategic star power. As Ananya Panday leads a new wave of endorsement queens and Dhoni continues to be cricket’s ultimate brand icon, one thing is clear—brands are moving from scatter-shot celeb casting to focused brand storytelling. It’s no longer about who appears in the most ads—it’s about who owns the screen.