MxMIndia

Tag: BCCI

  • Earlier this month, BCCI invited online bids for the title sponsorship rights for the BCCI organised domestic and international cricket matches

    Wavemaker, ESP Properties help Paytm bag BCCI title sponsorship

    By A Correspondent

     

    Wavemaker and ESP Properties, GroupM’s sports and entertainment marketing agency, have facilitated the renewal of the partnership between Paytm and BCCI for the title sponsorship rights for BCCI’s International and Domestic cricket matches at home from September 1, 2019 to March 31, 2023. Paytm first bagged the title sponsorship rights in 2015.

     

    Earlier this month, BCCI invited online bids for the title sponsorship rights for the BCCI organised domestic and international cricket matches. BCCI confirmed that Paytm will be the title sponsor of all domestic series/events organised, managed and administered by BCCI and played in India, between 1st September 2019 and 31st March 2023.

     

    Said Jaskaran Singh Kapany, Head- Marketing, Paytm: “We decided very early in our journey to partner with India cricket. Over the last few years, our association with the sport has given us a huge platform to be visible in front of half a billion Indian cricket fans. This has helped the brand immensely at various levels to build long term salience & stature. Paytm is a brand for the masses and continuing as the Title Sponsor of Cricket in India will help us bolster Paytm’s leadership position in the minds of millions of consumers, on the back of the most popular sport in the country.”

     

    Said Kartik Sharma, CEO, Wavemaker – South Asia: “Partnering with ESP properties to help Paytm win BCCI title sponsorship rights for the second time in a row is a huge feat for all of us. It is our constant endeavour to offer best platforms to all our partners and help them grow along the journey.”

     

    Added Vinit Karnik, Business Head, ESP Properties, GroupM India: “Paytm over the last four years has demonstrated its faith and commitment towards Indian Cricket. They understand & appreciate the potential of the game very well. Paytm and BCCI continuing their existing relationship will be huge win for both. The following that cricket gets in the sub-continent is at times more than any other sporting event across the planet and Paytm can continue to benefit from this. Earlier this year in ESP’s annual trends report we predicted that cricket would dominate the media and mind measure in 2019 and with such start to the new cricketing season we believe that this will only grow and improve over the next few months and years to come.”

     

     

  • The recently launched Harrier will leverage the IPL platform to showcase the SUV

    Tata Motors’ Harrier to be lead brand for IPL19

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that IPL Official Partner Tata Motors will promote their newly launched SUV – Harrier as the lead brand for the Vivo Indian Premier League 2019 (IPL19). The recently launched Harrier will leverage the IPL19 platform to showcase the SUV, engage fans and deliver memorable experiences to them.

     

    Speaking on the development, Amitabh Choudhary, Acting Honorary Secretary BCCI, said: “We are excited to continue our partnership with TATA Motors and have their newly launched SUV, Harrier, as the Official Partner of the IPL19. Harrier’s exhilarating performance is very akin to the muscle that players put in to have the highest batting strike rate and win the Harrier Super Striker Award every match and for the season. We look forward to delivering great exposure to both the Harrier brand as well as Tata Motors.”

     

    Added Mayank Pareek, President Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors: “After a successful association last year, it is only fitting for Tata Motors that our premium SUV, Harrier, should be the Official Partner of one of the biggest sporting events across the World. Born of legendary pedigree, the Harrier has received a phenomenal response from customers across India. Much like the IPL, which is one of the most iconic global cricketing events, and is widely celebrated as a platform for budding talent and international cricket legends, the Harrier too is known for its exhilarating performance and exciting drive. We have elaborate plans to capture the audience’s attention in-stadia, on-air and across digital platforms, and hope to drive tremendous value from this association yet again.”

     

     

  • Distribution key to Star India recovering investments

    So will Star recover the Rs 60.18cr it needs to pay for each India match?

    By A Correspondent

     

    So will Star recover the Rs 60.18cr it needs to pay for each India match? That’s a question that everyone seemed to be asking at the culmination of the e-auction where bidding to own India cricket broadcast rights. Star India logged in the highest bid of Rs 6138 crore for the global consolidated rights package was going ballistic.In the bag for Star are the following:  Global Television Rights plus Rest of the World Digital Rights Package, Indian Subcontinent Digital Rights Package and hence the Global Consolidated Rights Package. This averages out to Rs 60.18 cr per international game.

     

    Earlier, Star India had also secured the broadcast and digital rights for the Vivo Indian Premier League for the next five years. Given this, Star India has a monopoly over all forms of cricket for the next five years.

     

    According to broadcast and media industry folks, while the amount of Rs 60.18 crore appears very high, given the huge interest for the game, Star will hope to recover the monies from not just advertising but from distribution. And while Reliance lost this battle for the direct rights, it will still play a key role in the digital distribution with Jio.

     

    Said Uday Shankar, Chairman, Star India: Having both the IPL and India Domestic and International Rights puts us in a special position. I am confident that Star and BCCI can transform the sporting experience in the country.”

     

    And what about the monies invested. Said Shankar in a statement: “Before the auction began, we had a specific number in mind. The prices reflect the average value of all three formats of the game. I congratulate the BCCI for putting across a scientific and a thoroughly transparent process. You knew the bids at all times, but at no stage did you know the bidder. Having a brutally transparent process is a major factor for their success.”

     

    Said CK Khanna, Acting President of the BCCI: “I congratulate the Star group for securing BCCI’s Domestic and International Rights. The BCCI shares a strong bond with Star and our association will touch new levels in the years to come. The fact that it took three days to decide a winner proves the deep level of interest in Indian cricket.

     

    For Star India it’s a huge win. Echoing this view, Amitabh Choudhary, Acting Honorary Secretary, BCCI, said: “We tried out the E-Auction for the first time and it was a pleasant experience. By securing the BCCI Domestic and International Rights, Star has now completed a hat-trick. I also express my gratitude to Reliance Industries Limited and Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited who completed the E-Auction process and made it a success.”

     

    Added Rahul Johri, CEO, BCCI: “The BCCI had put together a transparent process and I am pleased with the outcome. In the process, we were assisted by Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas. The fierce bidding underlines the importance of domestic and international cricket. The supporters of Indian cricket will be treated to some high-quality action not only on the field, but also on television and digital platforms.”

     

    Sony Pictures and Reliance Industries were in the final three shortlisted for the online bidding. According to reports, the Sony bid was of Rs 6118.59 crore, just Rs 19.51 crore short of the Star India bid.

     

     

  • Star India has also announced the Star Reimagine creative award – a recognition of the Top 2 advertisers in IPL

    Star India reimagines IPL 2018 with VR

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star India has announced major plans to ‘reimagine’ the Vivo Indian Premier League 2018 with a slew of measures. The matches will be broadcast live in six different languages targeting a reach of 700 million fans across TV and Digital.

     

    In a first, Star will stream IPL 2018 on its OTT platform Hotstar in Virtual Reality. At a press meet held in Gurgaon on Wednesday, Star officials underscored the interplay of TV and Digital offering advertisers many opportunities to build brands across platforms. Star India also announced the Star Reimagine creative award – a recognition of the Top 2 advertisers in IPL.

     

    Said Sanjay Gupta, Managing Director, Star India: “Over its 10-year journey, the IPL has grown into the single biggest property by far on Indian television. And now that it is on the Star India network across both, television and digital, we are set to use the confluence of technology, consumer insight, and experience in cricket coverage, to broaden the outreach and experience even further. The Vivo IPL 2018 will be a six-month-long fiesta with new-age technology putting fans at the heart of the experience. We are confident that the VIVO IPL 2018, as re-imagined by Star India, will empower viewers, advertisers and the media & entertainment eco system of India with greater convenience and viewing pleasure, audience deliveries and all-round growth.”

     

    Added Rahul Johri, CEO, BCCI: “Over the last decade, the BCCI has transformed the Indian Premier League from a radical new idea into India’s biggest sporting phenomenon and despite the scale of its success, the sky remains the limit for the VIVO IPL 2018.  In Star India, we have a partner that not only believes in the immense potential of the IPL, but also believes in pushing the boundaries of sports broadcasting, which gives it the power and ability to take the IPL to even greater heights. With even richer content across a six-month entertainment calendar, we are happy it will delight a much larger number of cricket lovers across the length and breadth of India.”

     

     

  • In the world of mediocrity that Indian commentators have created over the years, Harsha Bhogle has stood out as the best, writes Shailesh Kapoor

    BCCI – Bhogle’s Cricket Career Interrupted

     

    By Shailesh Kapoor

     

    Controversies have been defining elements in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over its previous eight seasons. In a way, they have also given the league its personality, that of a flamboyant rich bloke who’s constantly up to some or the other mischief. And a sharply defined grey personality is better than no personality at all.

     

    But the controversies related to the IPL this year (and we are only a week into the long league) have been unlike those in the previous seasons. The Maharashtra drought controversy reflects tokenism of the silliest level. IPL has become a soft target in a case of misplaced priorities and incompetent governance.

     

    In general, constant judicial intervention in the IPL over the last few years is not a healthy sign. BCCI has struggled with its public image ever since the sport got commercialised back in the ’90s. Far from being perceived as a professional organisation (which, in many ways, it actually is), BCCI is seen as a rogue body by the common cricket fan.

     

    While most controversies have had little to do with actual cricket itself, the one that broke last weekend upset diehard fans and followers of the sport the most – Harsha Bhogle’s last-minute exclusion from the IPL 9 commentary team.

     

    Compared to Australia, England and South Africa (and even New Zealand and West Indies, some will hasten to add), India has probably the weakest set of commentators in the English language. Sunil Gavaskar has mastered the art of sitting on the fence and Ravi Shastri is the king of the clichés. Sanjay Manjrekar has improved considerably over the years, but remains uninteresting, to use a mild expression. Sourav Ganguly showed great promise, but cricket administration has kept him busy of late. In the world of mediocrity that Indian commentators have created over the years, Harsha Bhogle has stood out as the best.

     

    Speculation is rife about what led to Bhogle’s ouster. He claims he just doesn’t know, and the BCCI response has been, like most other times, reluctant and reticent. But whatever the trigger incident may have been, it is certain that Bhogle did not enjoy an easy equation with the BCCI (unlike his other employer Star Sports) over the years. Which doesn’t come as a surprise, given his simplicity and humility, traits that BCCI would never put on its wall as its values.

     

    There has also been this rather bizarre controversy about an Amitabh Bachchan tweet, where he suggested Indian commentators would do better by focusing on Indian players. While that suggestion may reflect a misplaced understanding of the commentator’s role, it was just a suggestion after all. By endorsing it, MS Dhoni expressed his displeasure too. I re-watched the recording of the India-Bangladesh game and its post-match show to see what could have led to such a strong reaction by the captain. Barring the strange commentary by Gavaskar in the last over (his “glamour shot” theory has stayed since the 2011 World Cup), nothing else stood out as discomforting. But then, what’s a controversy if it’s a puzzle can be solved in a jiffy!

     

    Harsha Bhogle remains a popular face in Indian cricket, one that signifies the inclusive nature of the sport in this vast country. Thankfully, there’s at least some cricket beyond what BCCI controls, and we will hear Bhogle on-air again.

     

    As for BCCI, brace yourself for the next controversy. It must be round the corner.

     

  • The company signed a deal to this effect with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier this week

    PepsiCo gets back on pitch with 4-year deal, sponsor for all ODIs & Tests

    By Ratna Bhushan

     

    NEW DELHI: Just four months after exiting the Indian Premier League (IPL)as title sponsor, PepsiCo is back on the cricket pitch by bagging a four-year contract to become a ground sponsor for all one-day international and test matches to be played in India.

     

    PepsiCo signed a deal to this effect with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) earlier this week, said officials who were directly aware of the development.

     

    The maker of Pepsi cola and Lay’s snacks plans to display its sports drink brand Gatorade prominently on the ground, company officials said.

     

    A formal announcement is expected over the next few days. Neither PepsiCo nor BCCI divulged financial details of the deal. “We continue to remain committed to sports in India,” a PepsiCo spokesperson said. “Recently, we were the exclusive beverage sponsor for the All-Star cricket series, we associated with soccer through the ISL’s soccer league and were also the beverage sponsor for the Champions Tennis League started by Vijay Amritraj. Having said that, our association with cricket has become synonymous over the last few years,” the spokesperson said.

     

    PepsiCo had in October last year terminated its five-year contract as title sponsor for the IPL two years ahead of schedule on ethical concerns after a series of match fixing and betting scandals hit the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament, which ultimately led to suspension of two popular teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, for two years.

     

    Chinese mobile phone maker Vivo has replaced PepsiCo as IPL title sponsor for two years. An official directly aware of the development said, “PepsiCo is keen on cricket and it has picked up one of the sponsorship slots for cricket to be played in India. The firm disassociated itself with the IPL on ethics ground but it was clear it would return to cricket on other platforms.”

     

    Basabdatta Chowdhury, chief operating officer of media buying firm Starcom Mediavest, said: “Cricket is a natural pull factor; specially for marketers with a youth male audience the sport is an obvious choice, given the following it has in the country.”

     

    PepsiCo had committed Rs 396.8 crore as fee for title sponsorship of IPL for the period 2013-2017.

     

    Mid last year, mobile payments and ecommerce company Paytm had taken BCCI’s title sponsorship rights for Rs 203.28 crore, for a four-year period till 2019 for all domestic and international cricket matches.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2016, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

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  • PepsiCo has asserted that it's not seeking to renegotiate the terms of its contract for title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League

    Pepsi has no plans to change IPL sponsorship contract

    By Ratna Bhushan & Ravi Teja Sharma

     

    PepsiCo has asserted that it’s not seeking to renegotiate the terms of its contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

     

    “This is absolutely untrue and there is no talk of bringing down the title sponsorship fee,” a PepsiCo spokesperson said. “Issues raised by PepsiCo are based on our commitment to ethical conduct and the spirit of fair play in sports.” Pepsi was reported to be seeking to pull out of the IPL because spot-fixing accusations have tainted the tournament and fewer teams could be playing next season. There was speculation that the parent may have also been seeking to reduce costs.

     

    The company categorically rejected this. “We are committed to sufficiently invest behind our brands and there is no change in that commitment,” the spokesperson said. Pepsi had committed Rs 396 crore for a five-year period to BCCI for title sponsorship for 2013-17, roughly Rs 80 crore a year and twice what predecessor DLF had paid.

     

    A senior BCCI official said Pepsi and the administrator are trying to sort out the matter amicably. “We can encash the bank guarantee but we are not doing that. They have been good partners in the last few years. We don’t want to spoil the relationship,” he said. A clause in the contract allows BCCI to reassign the title sponsorship, he added.

     

    Meanwhile, there are a handful of contenders willing to take over the role if it’s vacated, said one of the BCCI officials cited above. “The picture will get clearer in the next few days. There are four-five different companies that we are in touch with for the title sponsorship but those companies are yet to get a clearance from the board,” he said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • PepsiCo has asserted that it’s not seeking to renegotiate the terms of its contract for title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League

    Pepsi has no plans to change IPL sponsorship contract

    By Ratna Bhushan & Ravi Teja Sharma

     

    PepsiCo has asserted that it’s not seeking to renegotiate the terms of its contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

     

    “This is absolutely untrue and there is no talk of bringing down the title sponsorship fee,” a PepsiCo spokesperson said. “Issues raised by PepsiCo are based on our commitment to ethical conduct and the spirit of fair play in sports.” Pepsi was reported to be seeking to pull out of the IPL because spot-fixing accusations have tainted the tournament and fewer teams could be playing next season. There was speculation that the parent may have also been seeking to reduce costs.

     

    The company categorically rejected this. “We are committed to sufficiently invest behind our brands and there is no change in that commitment,” the spokesperson said. Pepsi had committed Rs 396 crore for a five-year period to BCCI for title sponsorship for 2013-17, roughly Rs 80 crore a year and twice what predecessor DLF had paid.

     

    A senior BCCI official said Pepsi and the administrator are trying to sort out the matter amicably. “We can encash the bank guarantee but we are not doing that. They have been good partners in the last few years. We don’t want to spoil the relationship,” he said. A clause in the contract allows BCCI to reassign the title sponsorship, he added.

     

    Meanwhile, there are a handful of contenders willing to take over the role if it’s vacated, said one of the BCCI officials cited above. “The picture will get clearer in the next few days. There are four-five different companies that we are in touch with for the title sponsorship but those companies are yet to get a clearance from the board,” he said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • This is the first time a sponsorship deal for the BCCI has been concluded by a media agency

    Maxus & GroupM ESP win BCCI cricket home series sponsorship rights for PayTM

    By A Correspondent

     

    Media agency Maxus, with GroupM ESP, has won the sponsorship rights for PayTM, for all home cricket series to be played from September 2015 to October 2019. The bids were opened by the BCCI in New Delhi yesterday and announced immediately. The deal is valued at Rs 203.28 crores for 84 matches for the four-year period.

    This is the first time a sponsorship deal for the BCCI has been concluded by a media agency.

     

    Kartik Sharma

    Kartik Sharma, Managing Director, Maxus South Asia said, “We are extremely happy for partnering with PayTM, and helping them win the BCCI rights. Until now cricket has been dominated by other mature categories and this is the first time an e-commerce brand will be using the platform to connect and engage with its consumer base.”

     

    Shankar Nath, Senior VP commented: “We are delighted at becoming the Title Sponsor for all BCCI India cricket for the next four years. We firmly believe the partnership with cricket in India will help establish us even more as the dominant mobile commerce company in the country. As a growing brand which has big plans for a billion strong Indians there is no platform better than cricket in India.”

     

  • On Tuesday, the BCCI announced that it has extended the deadline to submit bids for IPL media rights to February 10

    BCCI extends deadline for IPL media rights bidding to Feb 10

    By Ravi Teja Sharma

     

    Potential bidders for the IPL media rights will get a week more to decipher the Indian cricket board’s well-crafted doosra in the form of new terms.

     

    The BCCI on Tuesday announced that it has extended the deadline to submit bids for IPL media rights to February 10.

     

    The board recently invited bids for media rights for the 2015-2017 editions of the cricket tournament. But in contrast to terms in the previous bidding round in 2011, it excluded the lucrative television and digital rights for the UK, US and Africa and also audio rights, which will be offered separately.

     

    Media planners and broadcasting executives say this is likely to drive down bid value since the US, UK and Middle East together account for anywhere between 60-70% of Indians who watch the game outside the country.

     

    The rights offered by the BCCI this time include Internet and mobile rights for the Indian subcontinent and exclusive television, Internet, mobile and audio rights for the rest of the world, excluding the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the US. Segregating it further, Internet rights for the Middle East have been kept non-exclusive while mobile rights in the region are exclusive. “This takes away a large chunk of money,” said a top executive with a broadcaster, not wanting to be named.

     

    Viewers in the US and UK are high-value consumers and these territories are valuable in terms of rights for anyone who bids, he said.

     

    A media planner said these territories accounted for close to 50% of the total bid value in 2011.

     

    Internet and mobile rights for the Indian subcontinent, however, are likely to be valued higher this time because Internet and mobile coverage has risen over the past four years. “From a monetisation perspective, the bet will be on improved advertising revenues from (Internet) streaming,” said the media planner.

     

    “However, mobile revenues which are usually earned by partnering with telecom companies have declined in value as the VAS ecosystem has not done as well.” Times Internet Ltd, part of the Times of India group, had paid just over Rs 260 crore in 2011 for IPL rights that covered mobile, radio and Internet along with TV rights for certain territories for 2011-2014.

     

    According to industry sources, the likely bidders for these rights are Star India, Sony, Times Internet and Zee group. TV rights for the Indian subcontinent are held by SET Max till 2017.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Star India will not just be the 'Official Team Sponsor' but also have the rights to to display a commercial logo on the team clothing of the Senior Men's Cricket Team, the Under-19 Men's Cricket Team, the Men's A-Team and the Women's Team.

    Star completes full control on India cricket by turning Team Sponsor till March 2017

    By A Correspondent

     

    If it’s Cricket, it’s Star. Watch out for its familiar ogo across cricket as Star India extends its broadcast, internet and mobile rights-owner status for July 2012 – March 2018 to the ground.

     

    Star India has bagged the bid for the Team Sponsorship Rights for various cricketing events including the Senior Men’s Cricket Team title and logo sponsorship rights from 2014 to 2017 at the price of Rs 1.92 crore a match. This is a sharp drop from Rs 3.34 crore that Sahara India is paying as well as the Rs 2 crore that Star India is currently paying for the title and logo sponsorship.

     

    The base price was recently revised to Rs 1.5 crore from Rs 2.5 crore, and the Star bid was Rs 0.42 crore higher.

     

    The Team Sponsorship Rights cover BCCI Events, ICC Events and ACC Events, for the period January 1 2014 to March 31, 2017. The rights include the right to be called the ‘Official Team Sponsor’  and to display a commercial logo on the team clothing of the Senior Men’s Cricket Team, the Under-19 Men’s Cricket Team, the Men’s A-Team and the Women’s Team.

     

    The decision was taken at a meeting of the BCCI’s Marketing Committee yesterday (December 9). The tender document, which was available from November 11, 2013, was picked up by seven prospective bidders (Bharti Airtel, Games Unlimited, Multi Screen Media, Sahara India, Star India, UB Group, World Sport Group). Bids were accepted until 3 pm on Dec 9 at which time the bids were opened and evaluated. Two bidders – Star India Pvt Ltd and Sahara India Financial Corporation – were in the fray. Although Sahara’s bid was higher, it was found to be ineligible.

     

    “Star is the Title Sponsor for BCCI international and domestic matches for the period October 2013 to March 31, 2014, as well as the Holder of the Broadcast, Internet and Mobile Rights of cricket in India, for the period July 2012 – March 2018. Star has a deep understanding of the game of cricket, and what it means to the nation. We are pleased to extend our association with them,” Sanjay Patel, Honorary Secretary, BCCI, said.

     

    “Star is delighted to become the Official Sponsor of the Indian cricket team. It’s a team of brilliant talent and we are proud to be associated with them. This is further endorsement of Star’s deep commitment to Indian cricket and Indian Sports in general,” added Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India, said.

     

    Sanjay Gupta

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta has indicated that the sponsorship will be used to promote any of his brands – be it the sports channels or even entertainment offerings like Star Plus and Life OK.

     

    Meanwhile, there have been murmurs that the BCCI decision to award the rights to Star India may be contested. Sahara India is peeved that it was not informed that it was ineligible for the bid given its ongoing litigation with the Board on the IPL team disqualification. The Sahara bid was higher than that of Star at Rs 2.35 crore per match.

     

  • ESPN Software, Star India win BCCI title sponsorship rights at Rs 2 crore an international match

    Cricket sponsorship touches new low as Star, ESPN get title rights at throwaway price

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star India and ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd (ESIPL) have won the BCCI title sponsorship rights for all the BCCI international and domestic matches for the period October 2013 to April 30, 2014.

     

    There are 13 international fixtures in all by way of the two international series scheduled during the season – the seven-match ODI series and a T20 game between India and Australia, followed by two Tests and three ODIs against the West Indies. The sponsorship rights will extend to BCCI’s domestic events such as Irani Cup, Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Vijay Hazare, Deodhar Trophy and the Raj Singh Dungarpur Trophy.

     

    Vijay Rajput

    Speaking on the occasion, Vijay Rajput, Chief Operating Officer, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, said, “We are delighted with the outcome. BCCI’s title sponsorship offers immense value especially with the prospect of India taking on strong teams like Australia and West Indies at home during the festive season. It offers a unique opportunity of extending the brand proposition of our network to sports fans across the country in a radically new manner.”

     

    Star India COO, Sanjay Gupta said, “We are delighted to extend our relationship with BCCI. This will help Star India strengthen its connect with its loyal viewers as well as help the network reach out to newer audiences.”

     

    Sanjay Gupta

    Earlier, the Marketing Committee of the BCCI met at the Cricket Centre, Mumbai, on Thursday (Oct 3) to receive the bids made for Title Sponsorship of International Series and Domestic Tournaments to be played in India in the 2013-14 season. Bidders had the option of bidding for either the series between India and Australia or the series between India and the West Indies or both.

     

    The Marketing Committee has awarded the Title Sponsorship Rights for all series to be played in India in the 2013-14 season to Star India Pvt. Ltd and ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd, at a fee of Rs 2 crore per international match, said a communiqué signed by Sanjay Patel, Honorary Secretary of the Board.

     

    It may be noted that the amount is around 40% lesser than what Airtel paid last for title sponsorship. Mobile device company Micromax is had evinced interest in the bid for the 13 international matches and a slew of domestic tournaments, but is said to have opted out in the final round.

     

    Sports media observers believe that it’s too early to say that this should be considered a correction in the cricket sponsorship rates. A lot depends on how India performs against both Australia and West Indies, a senior marketer told MxMIndia.

     

    Since Star is already airing the matches, is there any point in the title sponsorship? “It’s already paying Rs 38-40 crore for each match’s telecast. Now for an incremental Rs 2 crore, it’s getting it all. If it works for Star, don’t be surprised if this is how rights will be sold in future,” said the senior marketer who chose to be anonymous.