At ₹12 L per 10 secs, India-Pakistan match tops advertisers' bill

The Indian cricketing economy continues to remain recession proof. Post the ban on real money gaming, it was looking like a hole, but it's on course to pass its first big test — ad rates for the group-stage encounter between India and Pakistan on Sunday, as well as selling all available ad slots for the said game.

- WAROOP SWAMINATHAN Bengaluru

Over the last few years, advertisements around live coverage of cricket's marquee properties were fronted by real money gaming firms. But their exit hasn't affected the market. Media planners have told this daily that the broadcaster, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), have sold 'all ad inventory for the India-Pakistan match'. Ad inventory is basically the total space made available by the broadcaster to the advertisers to purchase. It'