Shah Rukh Khan Tops TV Ad Visibility as Celebrity Ads Dip 17%

India’s celebrity TV advertising market cooled in January-September 2026. TAM AdEx’s latest report shows celebrity-endorsed TV ad volumes fell 17% from the same period last year, even as famous faces still appeared in 25% of all television commercials.

Film stars accounted for 65% of celebrity-led advertising. Sportspersons contributed 28%, and television stars 8%. The report covered TV commercials aired during the period; promos and social media ads were not included.

01 · The most visible face is not the busiest face

Shah Rukh Khan was the most visible celebrity on TV, with 26 hours of daily ad visibility across channels. MS Dhoni followed at 22 hours, and Jasprit Bumrah came third at 7 hours.

By volume share, SRK took 10% of celebrity-endorsed TV ad volumes; Dhoni took 8%, and Bumrah took 3%. A wider set of names—Ananya Panday, Ranbir Kapoor, Abhishek Sharma, Amitabh Bachchan, Shreya Chaudhry, Kiara Advani and Rohit Sharma—held 2% each.

Yet the busiest brand ambassador was Akshay Kumar, who had the highest number of brand associations in the period. Five celebrities increased their brand count year on year: Akshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Pankaj Tripathi. Hrithik Roshan remained unchanged.

02 · Where star spend is concentrated

Celebrity endorsement volumes clustered in categories where demonstration and reassurance matter.

• Food and beverages: 25% of celebrity-endorsed TV ad volumes
• Personal care and personal hygiene: 18%
• Household products: 9%

Toilet and floor cleaners were the leading category at 8%, followed by toilet soaps at 7% and aerated soft drinks at 6%. Paints attracted the highest number of distinct celebrity endorsers, with 36 faces; building materials had 31 and retail jewellers had 28.

03 · Couples are a media plan of their own

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt led the celebrity-couple ranking with 37 brand associations and a 19% share. Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan ranked second with 27 brands and an 11% share, while Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani had nine brands and an 11% share. Ajay Devgn-Kajol with 19 and Kareena Kapoor-Saif Ali Khan with 33 completed the top five.

04 · What this means for brand leaders

The report separates two planning questions that are often blurred. SRK’s lead in daily visibility signals frequency and reach; Akshay Kumar’s wider brand list signals versatility and category trust. A brand that needs awareness may value one, while a brand that needs sustained association may value the other.

The 17% decline in celebrity ad volumes suggests marketers are becoming more selective with star budgets, even as the top faces stay busy. For CMOs, the move is to set clear targets for both visibility and brand-association growth before renewing a celebrity contract.

Source: Afaqs!

Mad About Marketing Desk The strategists and writers at Mad About Marketing, writing up what we see in the work every week.