New Delhi, Feb. 11 -- The Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony on 22 January brought substantial advertising and viewership gains for news channels, particularly those focused on the Hindi heartland.

The spike was comparable to a general election counting day, media industry experts said.

While viewership, split with digital platforms (mainly YouTube), is estimated to have witnessed a spike of 10-15% on linear TV alone, advertising rates were three to four times higher, especially for mass-market brands, most of which found space on L-bands operating during the coverage of the ceremony, with news channels taking fewer ad breaks.

L-band TV advertising refers to L-shaped ads played on TV screens along with the content or programme fo...