Times of India Advertising

Who reads The Times of India online?

The Times of India is a mass English news brand. Its online readers range from college students checking exam results to senior managers scanning business news on the way to work. Readership is heavily mobile, with the website and app both important.

Comscore figures reported by Storyboard18 put The Times of India at about 182 million unique visitors in March 2025 and about 173 million in April 2025. Times Internet, the group that runs TOI and other Times sites, was reported at about 204 million unique visitors in the Comscore News and Information category for July 2025. These are total digital figures and move month to month, especially around elections and big cricket series.

What ad formats can you buy on TOI?

Times of India advertising covers most digital formats. What you can buy programmatically depends on the deal the publisher offers for your dates.

Takeovers and roadblocks are direct-sold by the Times Group. We can request them for a fixed date, but the price is quoted by the publisher and is separate from the CPM deal.

Why use a PG deal rather than the open auction?

TOI inventory is available in the open auction, and it is cheap there. The catch is control. In the auction you cannot be sure of position, homepage presence or share of voice on a given day.

A Programmatic Guaranteed deal fixes the price and the volume. You know how many impressions will run, on which sections, at what CPM. A private deal sits in between, giving you priority access at an agreed floor without a fixed volume. Our guide on PG versus PMP versus open auction covers this in detail.

Most brands use PG on TOI for launches and festive bursts, then keep a lighter open auction line running for always-on reach.

When should you advertise on The Times of India?

News traffic follows the news. A few periods reliably bring bigger audiences and more advertiser demand:

• Union Budget week in February, when business and personal finance pages spike.
• Board exam and entrance results season, roughly April to June, which pulls in parents and students.
• Election counting days, which bring some of the heaviest traffic of the year.
• Big cricket series, when live score pages and match reports get repeat visits.
• The festive quarter from Navratri to Diwali, when retail, auto and consumer durables brands crowd the inventory.

Book PG deals two to four weeks ahead for these windows. Quiet months such as July and August usually offer easier availability.

How do you measure Times of India ads?

Start with delivery and viewability, then look at what readers did. A typical TOI report from us covers impressions, unique reach, average frequency and viewable impressions. For video, we add completion rate and cost per completed view.

Clicks matter less on news sites than people think. A reader skimming headlines may notice your banner without clicking. Brand lift studies, where the budget qualifies, give a better read on awareness. For performance goals, we track site visits and conversions through Floodlight or your own tags.

How does TOI compare with other English news sites?

TOI offers broad reach and strong city coverage. Hindustan Times has a similar general news mix with a strong north India base. NDTV adds video-led news and a Hindi site. For business readers, The Economic Times, Mint and Business Standard are more focused.

Many national plans pair TOI for scale with one business title for decision makers. Ask for a free media plan to compare combinations and budgets.

Tips for better results

Write the creative for a phone screen first, with a short line and one clear call to action. Use city-specific messages when you target by city, because a Hyderabad reader responds to Hyderabad. Keep at least two creative versions and rotate them weekly to avoid fatigue.

Avoid running every impression on the homepage. Section pages often give better viewability at a lower cost. Finally, set brand safety rules before launch, especially during breaking news cycles that can carry sensitive stories.