Celebrity endorsements on TV dip 12%; Shah Rukh Khan, MS Dhoni buck the trend

Celebrity endorsements on Indian television and digital platforms dipped in the first half of 2025, with overall ad volumes falling 12% year-on-year, according to the latest TAM AdEx report. 

In Jan–June 2025, non-celebrities accounted for 71% of endorsements, while celebrities contributed 29%. Within this, film actors led with 44%, followed by film actresses (30%), sportspersons (19%), TV actresses (4%) and TV actors (3%). Film stars commanded a majority of ad share on television, cornering 74% of celebrity-led ads during June 2025, with sports personalities and TV stars contributing 4% and 3% respectively.

FMCG continues to dominate

The report shows that nearly half of all celebrity endorsements came from the FMCG sector. Food & beverages led with 23%, followed by personal care & hygiene (17%), and household products (8%). Other categories such as healthcare, infrastructure, services and hair care also featured prominently.

A gender split was evident across categories. Male celebrities dominated endorsements in food and beverages (63%), while female celebrities led in personal care and hygiene (58%).

E-commerce and gaming surge

E-commerce and gaming emerged as the largest categories by endorsement volumes, accounting for 38% of celebrity associations. Building materials (29 endorsements), spices (27), e-commerce media (26), retail outlets (18) and paints (17) followed closely, signalling the rapid growth of digital-first brands leveraging celebrity power.

Star power and shifting dynamics

The ad presence of top stars showed mixed trends. Shah Rukh Khan and MS Dhoni recorded marginal increases in endorsements, while Amitabh Bachchan slipped sharply from 41 to 28 ads. Kareena Kapoor featured in 31 campaigns during the period. 

Couple endorsements also contributed significantly, with Deepika Padukone–Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma–Virat Kohli leading the charts. Together with Akshay Kumar–Twinkle Khanna, these couples accounted for more than 40% of celebrity couple endorsements, with the top two pairs endorsing 23 and 19 brands respectively.

Despite the decline, industry watchers say the star factor remains strong. Film actors and sportspersons continue to deliver mass reach, while new-age categories like gaming and e-commerce are expected to expand their celebrity tie-ups in the coming quarters.