The season kicks off with the IPL looking for a new title sponsor. The contract with Dream11 expired on New Years eve leaving the IPL open to new sponsors
The season kicks off with the IPL looking for a new title sponsor. The contract with Dream11 expired on New Years eve leaving the IPL open to new sponsors
Back in 2020 I remember writing a few articles about who was the new IPL sponsor going to be. Here I am in January 2021 back writing about the same thing. Feels a bit like groundhog day.
The Indian Premier League finds itself in the same position again and searching for a title sponsor. The 2020 season was sponsored by Dream11 but that deal expired at midnight on new years eve. It sounds like it is very unlikely that the Dream11 partnership will continue. Recently we have noticed that the Dream11 logo has been dropped from the IPL website and any press release from the IPL themselves.
What we expect to happen next is that the BCCI will announce a new tender for the position as the title sponsor of the IPL for the 2021 season.
A BCCI official spoke to InsideSport and told them “Tender for the new title sponsor is the only feasible option currently available. The IPL 2020 deal was almost half and we can’t continue with the same. Going back to VIVO also is highly unlikely in the current situation. The final decision on the new tender and title sponsor will be taken soon.”
Based on articles I wrote last year we already know that the BCCI suspended the title sponsorship deal with VIVO due to its connection to China. The Dream11 sponsorship was worth a lot less in value to the BCCI and that is why only one season was agreed.
It is unlikely that an IPL title sponsor will be agreed ahead of the IPL auctions on February 18th. Any sponsor would like to be onboarded ahead of this because it leads to a lot of press coverage but due to the contract negotiation that will be required and the delays we saw last year, 3 weeks is just not enough time.
Who do you think will be interested in becoming the 2021 title sponsor for the IPL?
Leave your suggestions in the comments below.