Bihar elections: News channels record 40-60% hike in ad rates 

The Bihar elections of 2025 did more than deliver a political mandate. The entire week of November 8 to 14 recorded one of the strongest surges of the quarter for news television, with viewership swinging sharply in response to polling phases. 

The churn in audiences translated directly into higher advertising interest, tighter inventory, and premium pricing. Industry experts say they saw a 40 to 60 per cent jump in ad rates during this period.

Ad rate and inventory movement 

Once viewership climbed, advertiser behaviour shifted immediately. Networks reduced traditional breaks to maintain the pace of live results, which pushed demand towards premium on-screen formats and integrated placements. Aaj Tak COO Gaurav Verma claimed the growth was boosted by placement on key days. “We commanded a premium over competing channels on special days, reinforcing its market leadership and advertiser confidence.”

NDTV witnessed a substantial rise in both ad rates and inventory utilisation during the Bihar elections. “Our ad rates rose nearly 10-12x across regular FCT as well as premium graphical innovations. Additionally, fill levels increased sharply throughout the election cycle, reflecting strong advertiser demand,” said an NDTV spokesperson.

TV9 CRO Amit Tripathi noted, “Counting week had 37 per cent increase over previous week,” highlighting the sharp jump the network witnessed during Bihar. He added that this surge led to “selective rate upside on special days like counting day, polling day and exit poll.”

Varun Kohli explained this broader structural shift, saying, “Even though the broader advertising industry is going through a slump, the moment elections arrive, news channels immediately come back into focus.” He pointed out that during high-stakes cycles, ad inventory becomes significantly more valuable, often resulting in hikes ranging from 50 per cent to even 100 per cent.

This rise is closely tied to viewer behaviour. Broadcasters say advertisers chase the hours when viewers are glued to predictable visual cues such as constituency swings, lead-deficit graphics, EVM opening visuals and anchor explainers. The sharper and more uninterrupted the editorial grid, the higher the rate card.

Impact on TRP & viewership 

Week 45 of 2025 showed just how fiercely competitive the Hindi news landscape can become during a high-stakes election cycle. Aaj Tak finished the week with a 14.1 per cent share, closely trailed by News18 India at 12.5 per cent and India TV at 10 per cent. Republic Bharat recorded 9.4 per cent, while TV9 Bharatvarsh ended the week at 8.9 per cent. ABP News and Zee News were both at 7.9 per cent and 7.8 per cent, respectively. Times Now Navbharat closed at 6.5 per cent. NDTV’s own viewership remained steady through the week, averaging 4.8% weekly share, with a mid-week high of 5.3% on November 11, according to recent data procured by e4m.

Together, the numbers reflected one of the highest sampling weeks of the year, driven by relentless political coverage and heightened public interest.

The week itself saw sharp day-to-day swings as viewers moved fast between channels. News18 India peaked at 13.7 per cent on November 13. Aaj Tak climbed to 18.9 per cent on November 14 during a heavy news day. India TV crossed the 11 per cent mark mid-week. Republic Bharat touched 10 per cent. TV9 Bharatvarsh saw its strongest performance on November 10 with 10.7 per cent. These shifts played out along with other national stories that kept audiences jumping across networks, creating a highly volatile build-up to counting day.

The most aggressive surge came on the morning of November 14 during live counting hours. From 8 am to noon, Aaj Tak delivered 1.847 million AMA measured in thousands and reached 12.6 million viewers. News18 India followed with 1.005 million AMA and a reach of 10.5 million. India TV, ABP News and Zee News formed a competitive middle pack ranging between 825,000 and 878,000 AMA. 

Key advertiser sectors driving growth

Bihar 2025 attracted a wide mix of advertisers, but the strongest momentum came from brands for which the Hindi heartland is a priority market. FMCG and auto remained the largest contributors. BFSI brands, political advertisers, education players and regional retail chains added significant volume through the week.

The NDTV spokesperson believes the growth was propelled largely by high-interest sectors. “On the Counting Day, we saw a strong traction from categories, including Handsets, Automobiles, Building Materials (Cement & TMT Bars), Hosiery, FMCG, Lifestyle, Pharma, Personal Accessories and Consumer Durables, all of which capitalised on the heightened viewer attention”. One of the key highlights was the Bihar Powerplay Conclave for NDTV, which received an excellent response from the market, attracting 7 major sponsors.

Verma said, “The channel saw significant revenue growth compared to previous election cycles, with notable contributions from leading brands like Samsung, Bata, and Hyundai, as well as emerging brands.The growth was driven by players across  automotive, consumer goods, electronics, footwear, agriculture, and consumer durables.” 

Tripathi explained that “clients with Bihar as P1 market advertised more”. This matches advertiser strategy across major election cycles. Sectors with strong Tier 2 and Tier 3 presence tend to invest early in the week, while national brands seeking mass recall concentrate their spending around counting day and exit polls.

On why news becomes the preferred medium during elections, even though entertainment usually commands higher advertising value, Kohli noted: “If you stop people and ask what they are watching during a major election like Bihar, many of them will tell you they are tuned into news channels. Elections create that shift.”

The most in-demand ad formats: L-band leads the race

High-engagement news days typically include fewer breaks, and Bihar 2025 followed the same pattern. This drove advertisers toward integrated on-screen formats, with the L-band emerging as the most demanded inventory. A news expert claimed the L-band even sold for Rs 1 lakh on the final counting day.

Tripathi said, “The demand for L band was more than anything else also because screens that day and earlier counting day programming had no break.” For many brands, the L-band was the only way to secure continuous visibility while anchors were calling leads at high frequency.

Scrollers and tickers also remained in high demand because of their uninterrupted presence during rapid graphic updates. By mid-morning on November 14, many networks had already exhausted their premium fixed positions. This is typical of high-intensity election news cycles, where advertisers race to secure screen presence rather than traditional 10-second spot placements.

Bihar 2025 reaffirmed a long-standing truth. Even in a challenging advertising climate, politics has the power to reset the news economy. Viewers return, advertisers reappear, rate cards rise, and the genre briefly reclaims its central place in the national conversation.