IPL 2022 Trophy. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)
Since 2008, summer in India has witnessed a major cricketing carnival. Indian Premier League has become a staple diet for cricket-crazy fans to spend time with their family and friends. The league is also a great vehicle for some of the biggest brands and commercially viable products to make their presence felt.
Over the years many major brands have seen their brand visibility rise just with their association in the league. Not just Indian but even overseas brands have gotten greater reach, thanks to the IPL.
One of the biggest marketing tactics when the league began was to brand the title name itself. Even the catches taken or boundaries hit or the emerging player of the year awards were being associated with a brand.
Also Check: IPL 2024 Points Table
Here we cast a closer look at the IPL title sponsors over the years
DLF – (IPL 2008- IPL 2012)
In the very first season of the IPL, BCCI was able to rope in development and infrastructure giants DLF better known as Delhi Land and Finance. From the first IPL in 2008 to the fifth edition in 2012, DLF was prominently displayed. The term DLF IPL became a staple diet for many fans and broadcasters. The deal with DLF was worth I00 Million US Dollars, making it one of the biggest deals of that period.
Pepsi (IPL 2013 to IPL 2015)
After DLF exited the IPL, it was the turn of cold drink giants Pepsi to make their presence felt in the league. The BCCI got a massive investment from Pepsi to be the title sponsor for one of the fastest-growing leagues. The association also helped BCCI give the league a more youthful look and appeal to the demography of 15-30 and become more popular.
Vivo (IPL 2016 to IPL 2020)
China decided to dip into the popularity of the IPL as Vivo became the IPL title sponsor. At first, it was set to be a short-term deal for just two years. In 2018, the company put in a mouth-watering bid of nearly INR 2200 Crores to further extend its brand association with the league. The deal ended in 2020 abruptly as the geo-political tensions between New Delhi and Shanghai began to rise.
Dream 11 (IPL 2020)
When the COVID-19 pandemic was having its grip around the world, BCCI and IPL too struggled. The league couldn’t take place in its regular slot due to the lockdown measures but was played in UAE in September 2020. Since Vivo had pulled out as the title sponsor, BCCI managed to rope in Dream 11 as the title sponsor. The fantasy gaming platform was able to fork out a large sum of money, just to become the title sponsor for a single season.
Also Check: IPL 2024 Schedule
VIVO (IPL 2021)
IPL was played in two parts in the year 2021 due to the second wave of COVID-19 which created panic. The IPL 2021 also saw the return of Mobile phone giants VIVO, who yet again became the title sponsors. The deal between VIVO and BCCI couldn’t be extended due to the deteriorating relations between the two nations
TATA (IPL 2022 – Present)
Leading business house TATA landing into the IPL pool made BCCI even richer with their amazing deal. TATA IPL as it is known, now had initially associated itself with the board for two years. But on 20th January 2024, the business behemoth decided to renew its deal for five more years. Both the Men’s and Women’s T20 leagues will be sponsored by TATA till 2028.