How TV remains indispensable for FMCG, real estate and consumer durables

The living room screen may no longer be the only battleground for brands, but it remains the one place where millions still gather at the same time. In an era of endless scrolling and fragmented attention, television continues to deliver something few platforms can — collective reach, credibility and cultural presence.

The latest dentsu–e4m advertising report captures this paradox clearly. Even as digital tightens its grip on advertising budgets, sectors such as FMCG, real estate and consumer durables continue to ring-fence sizable allocations for television. 

Industry observers say this isn’t resistance to change, but recognition that TV still plays an irreplaceable role at the top of the funnel.

On being asked why TV still matters for FMCG, real estate and consumer durables, industry experts said the medium remains unmatched for scale, trust and mass storytelling — particularly in semi-urban and rural markets where household purchase decisions dominate.

TV leading among traditional formats: e4m-dentsu report. Read more

A senior media agency executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, called the recent spending trends “an early indicator of a structural shift in the media mix,” but cautioned against reading the decline as an exit.

“The spending trends that you’re seeing on television are definitely an early indicator of a structural shift in the media mix. However, the trend from 2025 is largely dictated by consumption, which started growing in rural areas but was uneven in urban belts. Secondly, as a connected phenomenon, businesses in these categories were under pressure to generate revenue. Subsequently, they prioritised more efficient and technically effective media such as Digital, print, and Radio. It is important to remember that the uptick in print and Radio was largely from the last quarter driven by GST rate cut,” the executive said.

“Linear TV will continue to see a decline in share of AdEx, as well as PayTV revenues. LTV subscription revenue may increase in the future as service providers push for growth of addressable TV. Despite all things, TV still remains a high reach medium. Especially among NCCS B downwards, and in semi-urban and rural areas. Even though LTV spends will keep declining, it is not going anywhere anytime soon.”

The data supports that view. In 2025, real estate allocated 42% of its advertising spends to television, consumer durables 31%, and FMCG 29%. Yet each of these categories has trimmed its TV exposure compared to 2024.

Real estate reduced its allocation from 49% to 42%. Consumer durables dropped from 37% to 31%. FMCG recorded the sharpest fall, from 40% to 29%. The reductions signal a deliberate rebalancing toward digital and performance media rather than a structural retreat from television.

Read more on the e4m-dentsu report

Manesh Swamy, Co-Founder & CCO at First AI Consultancy, describes television as foundational rather than optional.

“Think of television as India’s last true mass ritual. Even as digital adoption explodes, TV continues to do a few critical jobs that FMCG, real estate and consumer durables simply can’t afford to lose. First, scale at speed. These categories sell to households, not individuals. Television — especially regional GECs, news and live sports — still delivers millions of viewers at the same moment. Digital reaches many, but rarely together. TV concentrates attention; digital distributes it.

“Second, trust. For high-frequency purchases like FMCG, and high-stakes decisions like homes and appliances, TV functions as a credibility filter. If a brand is on television, it feels established, legitimate, and safe.

“Third, storytelling that demonstrates, not just declares. Television doesn’t just create awareness; it builds belief.”

Swamy adds that the shift is more about redefining roles than replacing platforms.

“This isn’t a breakup with television. It’s more of a ‘we need some space’ moment. Digital now accounts for nearly 59% of total ad spends, powered by online video, social, search and rapidly growing retail media. Performance pressure, sharper attribution, and commerce-linked formats are naturally pulling incremental budgets toward digital. That doesn’t make TV redundant. It just changes its role. TV builds memory. Digital builds momentum. Winning brands need both.”

Another industry observer echoed the sentiment, noting that for household-driven categories, television still provides the “launchpad moment.”

“For mass brands, you still need that one big burst of fame and legitimacy that only television creates. Digital then sustains the conversation and converts demand. It’s no longer TV versus digital -  it’s TV plus digital working in sequence,” the expert said.

A market reshaped by faster digital growth

The continued presence of television sits within a broader advertising market that is evolving rapidly. India’s advertising market in 2025 reflected a mix of steady leadership and sharp shifts across sectors when compared with 2024.

FMCG, the largest spender, increased its ad outlay to ₹36,084 crore in 2025 from ₹31,467 crore in 2024 — an absolute rise of ₹4,617 crore, or about 14.7% year-on-year. However, its share of total industry spends eased from 31% to 30%, indicating faster growth in other categories.

E-commerce recorded the sharpest surge, with spends climbing from ₹15,509 crore to ₹22,132 crore, while its market share expanded from 15% to 18%. The category posted a 40.8% year-on-year growth, reflecting aggressive customer acquisition, deeper penetration of quick-commerce and logistics networks, and a strong tilt toward performance-led digital campaigns.

Automotive spending trends were steadier. The sector contributed 7% of total ad spends in both 2024 and 2025. After a 20.4% rise in 2024, renewed demand across electric and internal combustion portfolios sustained marketing momentum in 2025.

Telecom also gathered pace. After growing 19.8% in 2024, the sector accelerated further with a 24.2% increase in 2025, driven by 5G-enabled service diversification and content-led bundling. BFSI, real estate and automotive posted steady increases as improving consumer sentiment, better credit availability and urban demand recovery supported higher promotional activity. BFSI brands continued to focus on digital payments, credit products and insurance penetration, while real estate and auto benefited from premiumisation and improved financing conditions.

Media mix tells the story

Media allocation patterns further underline the transformation. In 2025, telecom, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals and FMCG directed the largest share of budgets toward digital platforms, favouring precise targeting, measurable outcomes and always-on engagement. Performance marketing, regional digital content and commerce-linked journeys became central to strategy.

Television, however, retained its stronghold where mass reach was critical. Real estate continued to rely heavily on TV at 42%, consumer durables at 31%, and FMCG at 29%.

Print remained dominant among government and social organisations (65%), education (53%), retail (49%) and media and entertainment (46%), where trust and localised communication mattered most.

A similar mix had been visible in 2024 as well: FMCG allocated 53% to digital and 40% to television; BFSI spent 43% on digital, 28% on television and 21% on print; real estate split 49% to television and 41% to digital; consumer durables spent 39% on digital and 37% on television; and automotive dedicated 37% to digital, with TV and print nearly evenly distributed.

In contrast, 2024 had seen broad-based recovery led by travel and transport, which posted the highest increase at 33.4% over 2023, supported by tourism-focused initiatives such as the ‘Chalo India’ campaign and Maha Kumbh Mela promotions. E-commerce had grown 21.1% that year, automotive 20.4%, telecom 19.8%, consumer durables 19.4%, and government and social organisations 18%.

Not shrinking in relevance

Taken together, the comparison paints a clear picture. FMCG remains the foundation of India’s ad economy in absolute terms, but faster percentage growth in e-commerce, telecom and other digitally enabled sectors is steadily reshaping the hierarchy and pushing incremental investments toward measurable digital channels.

Yet for categories that need to persuade entire households at once, television continues to anchor brand-building. Its share may be declining, but its role is sharpening — from being the whole plan to becoming the moment that creates fame, memory and legitimacy.

In today’s media mix, TV is no longer the entire orchestra. But for FMCG, real estate and consumer durables, it is still the opening note that sets everything else in motion.