MUMBAI: The lack of interest from brands across sectors has benefitted Dream11 who picked up the rights for being the new sponsor of the Indian cricket team till 2027.
The deal has reportedly been valued at Rs 3.58 billion, the tender for which was announced mid-June after the jersey sponsor Byju’s terminated its contract. The BCCI is said to have set a base price which was almost 40 per cent lower than the previous winning bid.
Despite that there was no interest and this proved beneficial for the fantasy gaming platform to win the bid. The fact that the BCCI barred certain categories from bidding also led to a paucity of brand who might have been interested. BCCI had said companies and brands from these sectors could not bid: Athleisure and Sportswear; Alcohol Products; Betting; Cryptocurrency; Real Money Gaming (Except Fantasy Sports Gaming); Tobacco; and one which is likely to offend public morals such as, including but not limited to, pornography.
Fantasy gaming, legally has been classified as skilled gaming, and hence escapes the ban implemented on real money gaming brands. Since adidas came on as exclusive kit sponsor, no other athleisure or sportswear brand could bid. Since the edtech sector, of which Byju’s is the leading brand, is facing innumerable problems, the fantasy gaming sector was the only hope for the BCCI and Dream11 came good.
Dream11 has been the official partner for the IPL cricket tournament since 2019 and was also the title sponsor in IPL 2020. Following this, Dream11 will be seen on Team India jerseys starting from the Test series against the West Indies, which will be the team’s first assignment in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.
Commenting on the partnership, Roger Binny, BCCI President said, “I congratulate Dream11 and welcome them on board again. From being BCCI’s official sponsor to now being the lead sponsor, the BCCI-Dream11 partnership has grown from strength to strength. It is a direct testament to the trust, value, potential and growth that Indian Cricket offers. As we prepare to host the ICC World Cup later this year, enhancing fan experience is among our top priorities and I am confident that this partnership will help us elevate the fan engagement experience.”
Commenting on the partnership, Harsh Jain, Co-Founder & CEO, Dream Sports said, “As a long-standing partner of BCCI and Team India, Dream11 is thrilled to take our partnership to the next level. At Dream11, we share our love for cricket with a billion Indian cricket fans, and it is a matter of pride and our privilege to become the lead sponsor for the National team. We look forward to continue supporting the Indian sports ecosystem.”
