Why are brands cold to BCCI sponsorship rights?
Poor performance of the Indian team and uncertainty over the cricketing calendar kept advertisers away, making it an easy win for Micromax, which bid at only Rs 20,000 higher than the base price

Micromax, which recently won the title sponsorship rights for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for nine international games over seven months between 2014-15 (Micromax bags BCCI title sponsorship rights) was not only the only bidder, at Rs 18.01 crore (Rs 2.2 crore per match), its bid was only Rs 20,000 more than what was quoted as the base price in the invitation. Last year Star Sports had procured the rights for Rs 2 crore per match. Apart from the international matches, the deal also extends to other domestic cricket series played in the country.
Star’s title sponsorship deal which ended in March 2014, included branding and in-stadia advertising opportunities, which will be extended to Micromax. We reached out to Micromax to know how the brand planned to leverage this deal, but were unable to elicit any response.
So, what kept advertisers away from what has always been a coveted spot?
Bidders want long-time rights
Media reports quoted BCCI Secretary, Sanjay Patel saying, that the fewer bidders could be because of the weak economic environment and a shorter period of sponsorship rights, as compared to the three-four years earlier. It was also reported, that that once the BCCI finalised the series fixtures from 2016-21, it would send out tenders for longer sponsorship periods. This, Patel said, would put BCCI in a position to demand higher premium on sponsorship. There was also a mention of raising the current base price of Rs 2 crore.
Where are the big matches?
A senior cricket correspondent and author, on condition of anonymity pointed out that there is considerable uncertainty over the calendar after the West India series (which is a low value series). “Sponsorship is healthy only when India plays the big teams – England, South Africa, Pakistan and Australia. And after this season, there is no surety of when they will happen, as the ICC which is supposed to decide henceforth, has not taken any calls yet,” he said, adding that India and Pakistan are scheduled to play six series over eight years, but no one knows when they will happen.
The other, and perhaps more resonating reason for brands to stay away from cricket, could be the poor performance of the Indian cricket team overseas, especially the 3-1 loss in the test series against England. There could be some cheer when the West Indians tour India and our past record on home ground, but advertisers are definitely wary of betting big on the lack-lustre team.
Fall in base bid rates
The title sponsorship rights have declined considerably since 2010, when Sahara had paid Rs 3.34 crore per match, outbidding Airtel’s offer of Rs 2.89 crore per match. The BCCI base price for bids at that time was Rs 2.5 crore per match. However, after BCCI severed ties with Sahara in October 2013, the base bid rate were lowered to Rs 1.5 crore.
Though Sahara reportedly raised a bid of Rs 2.35 crore, much higher than Star Sports, the contract was awarded to the latter. At that time Sahara had claimed their bid was disqualified by the board due to the dispute regarding the IPL franchise and that the bidding process was ‘stage-managed’.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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