India – 3 November 2026 – According to a new report by Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, 94% of marketers in India expect to increase sponsorship and event media spend over the next 12 to 24 months, the highest among the markets surveyed, highlighting India’s lead in the international move into live events.
The report, Top 10 Signals Shaping Marketing Budgets in 2026, draws on a survey of 1,200 marketers across six markets covering budgets, creators, sports and AI.
Key findings from the report include:
- 94% of marketers in India expect to increase sponsorship and event media spend, ahead of the U.S. (75%) and Italy (67%). No channel in the study shows a higher projected budget increase.
- 61% of marketers in India and 54% in the U.S. describe sports sponsorship as a testing ground for new audiences and markets, compared with 32% in Germany.
- 81% of Indian marketers rate influencer and creator content as very or extremely effective 27 percentage points higher than U.S. marketers (54%), the widest gap across all channels measured.
- 42% of Indian marketers measure ROI holistically across traditional and digital media, compared with 48% in the U.S. and 53% in Italy. India records the lowest result among the markets discussed.
- AI adoption is nearly universal. 75% of U.S. marketers use AI for measurement and analytics, their most common application, and 34% fully trust AI recommendations and act on them independently.
- Budgets are expanding. 81% of U.K. marketers expect their total ad budget to grow in the next 12 months, compared with 71% in the U.S. and 66% in Italy.
The findings are particularly relevant for India’s marketing ecosystem, where brands are increasingly centering their strategies around live sporting events and cultural moments, while also investing in creator-led content. As spend on sponsorships, events and creators grows, connecting these investments to business outcomes on a comparable basis will be critical to proving return and planning with confidence.
The report also highlights where measurement still has further to go. According to the Nielsen Annual Marketing Report 2026:
- Search gained more ground than any other channel, with the share of U.S. marketers rating it very or extremely effective rising from 65% to 73%.
- 8% of U.S. marketers measure no ROI at all on sponsorship, influencer and creator spend.
- 44% of U.S. marketers name accuracy as what they want most from measurement technology.
As budgets grow and AI becomes part of everyday marketing workflows, the report concludes that unified, accurate measurement across linear, streaming, sponsorship, creator and event activity will be essential to helping marketers evaluate performance and invest confidence.
About the Research
The Nielsen Annual Marketing Report 2026 is based on a survey of 1,200 marketers across six markets, with 200 respondents each in the U.S., U.K., Italy, France, Germany and India. The full report is available at nielsen.com.
About Nielsen
Nielsen is a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their global audiences—now and into the future. Learn more at www.nielsen.com and connect with us on social media (X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram).
