From DLF to Dream11, the journey of IPL’s title sponsors!
The nightmares of BCCI about not having a competent official title sponsor for IPL 2020 were put to rest by Dream11. The online fantasy gaming firm won the rights to be the official title sponsor of IPL 2020. They shall remain associated with the IPL title from August 18 to December 31, 2020. Dream11 will be paying ₹222 crores to BCCI for this privilege. Here’s a ride through the memory lane to acquaint ourselves with all the title sponsors of the IPL thus far.
DLF
For many cricket fans, it is still DLF IPL. Since the inception of the IPL in 2008 to 2012, DLF, one of the largest real estate companies in India, bought the rights of being the title sponsor of IPL for ₹200 crores. The company remained attached to the IPL for first seasons. The brand of DLF became increasingly popular across the country due to its association with the IPL. DLF and IPL became synonymous with each other. Their five-year contract with the T20 tournament expired in 2012.
PepsiCo
American multinational food, snack and beverage corporation, PepsiCo, bought the IPL title rights after the 2012 season for ₹397 crores for the next 5 seasons. However, in October 2015, the company decided to terminate the deal two years before its completion. The company cited the two-year suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals from the league as the primary reason behind the move.
Vivo
The BCCI then transferred the title sponsorship rights for the remaining two seasons of the contract to Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo for ₹200 crores. Two years later, in June 2017, Vivo retained the rights for the next five seasons (2018–2022) with a winning bid of ₹2,199 crores. This deal was more expensive than Barclays’ Premier League (English football league) title sponsorship contract between 2013 and 2016.
Dream11
? BCCI announce @Dream11 as Title Sponsor for IPL 2020.
More details here ? https://t.co/cP2Wyf9krj pic.twitter.com/5KIJjhwte7
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) August 19, 2020
On August 4, 2020, Vivo decided to withdraw from the upcoming season after the growing dispute over LAC (line of actual control) between India and China. Apart from this, there were reports that Vivo suffered market losses amidst the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the company to withdraw from this year’s IPL. Winning the bidding war, Dream11 acquired the right to be the title sponsor of the IPL for a season in a new bid of Rs 222 crore.
