The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has awarded the title sponsorship rights of the 2020 Indian Premier League to fantasy sports platform and partner Dream11 for a deal for Rs 222 crore, a little more than half of what Vivo paid for (Rs 440 crore per year).
“In the given circumstances, we are happy with the deal. These rights are only for four months and only for this edition of the IPL,” said Brijesh Patel, IPL chairman.
Dream11 outbid Tata Sons, which was pegged to be favourites to bag the deal. Other bidders included education technology platforms Byju’s and Unacademy.
The 2020 IPL title sponsorship fell apart after Chinese-owned Vivo pulled out of sponsoring the event this year amid growing calls to boycott products from the neighbouring country in light of India-China tensions at the border. Vivo originally had a five-year deal with the BCCI ending in 2022, but withdrew after calls for a boycott gathered steam following the clash at Galwan Valley in June.
Reports said that Dream11 bagged the 2020 IPL title sponsorship rights on the back of their financial strength. Byju’s is said to have made a bid with Rs 201 crore, while Unacademy offered 171 crore. It is not clear how much Tata Sins offered.
The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League will be held from September 19 in the UAE across three venue at Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The inaugural match is scheduled to be played between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. The final will be played on November 10.
