The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently invited tenders for IPL Title Sponsorship for the cash-rich league’s seasons from 2024 t0 2028. The BCCI released the Invitation to Tender for Title Sponsor Rights for the Indian Premier League last week. Indian salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group held the title sponsor rights for the last two seasons. 

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Tata has been IPL’s title sponsor for the last two seasons, 2022 and 2023. Dream11 had held the tag for two seasons before that after the long-term contract with Vivo ended as the Chinese smartphone manufacturer pulled out in 2020. 

The IPL Title Sponsorship is a lucrative opportunity for any brand to increase its presence by attaching its name to one of the world’s most valuable sporting leagues. A leading IT services company has reportedly been considering getting into the IPL frenzy. It is not one of the top billionaire-founded Indian companies in the sector – NR Narayana Murthy’s Infosys, Shiv Nadar’s HCL or Azim Premji’s Wipro – but NTT Data. The company is a subsidiary of the Japan-headquartered NTT Group. 

NTT Data is exploring opportunities for IPL sponsorship, according to reports from earlier this year. NTT Data has had a presence in India since 1994 and aims to keep expanding. The company is not new to sporting sponsorships and has been attached to major events like the IndyCar series in the US and biggest cycling contest globally, the Tour De France. 

Nevertheless, Tata Sons might still have the final say as they have the ‘Right to Match’ the highest bid submitted by any bidding party for the IPL Title Sponsor Rights 2024-28, the BCCI confirmed during the release of the invitation to tender.