A consolidated list of IPL Brand Collaborations 2020

Here's presenting a comprehensive list of IPL Brand Collaborations 2020 that features sponsors and partners associated with the league and individual teams.

The IPL ecosystem was valued at 6.8 billion USD, as of 2019, according to the Duff & Phelps Report. The value has doubled in the last five years and may cross the 7 billion mark or remain stagnant despite the pandemic. IPL Brand collaborations 2020 too reflect this sentiment of growth.

The number of advertisers, sponsors, partners, and associations pouring in and unloading a chunk of their ad spends in the 2020 season, in spite of the unprecedented economic downfall, is a testament to the yield brands gain.

The League

The response from viewers that has grown with the digital broadcast and social media presence of the teams adds to the television broadcast and on & off-ground activities, making it a significant advertising period and pulling several sponsors.

Dream 11 - Title Sponsor

Following the backlash IPL faced for a Chinese company - Vivo being associated with an Indian league amidst the geopolitical tension between India and China, IPL named Dream 11 (Sporta Technologies Pvt. Ltd) an Indian company as their title sponsor after a close call with a few other Indian brands in the run.

Brijesh Patel, Chairman, IPL, mentioned, "Dream11 as a fantasy sports brand will only grow the engagement of the IPL with its fans. As a digital brand, it will give them leverage to create exciting online engagement for fans sitting at home and watching the matches".

Unacademy - Official Partner

The edutech firm has been named as the official partner for three seasons of IPL (2020 to 2022).

The brand has begun executing campaigns and contests increasing the informational and aspirational value around the league. Karan Shroff, VP - Marketing, Unacademy, also shares, "With this partnership, we will double-down on our efforts to make Unacademy the biggest brand in the consumer-internet space in India".

CRED - Official Partner

Cred has also bagged a three-season partnership deal, and the brand plans to pursue more than brand awareness; it wants to educate the masses about managing their finances, more specifically, managing credit better.

Trupthi Shetty, Lead- Growth & Engagement, CRED tells Social Samosa that the two focus areas of their marketing plans with the association are, using IPL’s reach to drive messages surrounding financial & credit literacy, and create rewarding experiences centered around matches that are high on engagement.

Tata Altroz - Official Partner

Tata Motors announced the third year of association with the Dream11 IPL, with its hatchback, Altroz becoming the Official Partner for the tournament.

Vivek Srivatsa, Head, Marketing Passenger Vehicle Business Unit (PVBU), Tata Motors mentions, "We have elaborate plans to capture the viewer’s attention who will be virtually supporting their favorite teams, on-air and across digital platforms. We are positive to drive tremendous value from this association and hope to share the joy of watching live cricket with the fans yet again".

Paytm - Umpire Partner

Paytm continues to be the Official Umpire Partner for IPL, following their five-year deal in 2018.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder, and CEO of Paytm, at the time of the deal mentioned, "Cricket has been a key element in Paytm's brand journey and it has worked brilliantly for our young brand".

CEAT - Official Strategic Timeout Partner

In 2018, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced it will continue its association with CEAT as the Official Strategic Time Out Partner of the Indian Premier League for the next five years.

CEAT was first appointed as the Official Strategic Time Out Partner of the IPL in 2015. 

The Teams

In most sports leagues, the number of sponsors and bigger brands partnering with a team essentially depends on the team's performance. But for IPL, along with performance, there are more factors that play a role, possibly a bigger role.

For instance, Royal Challengers Bangalore is able to pull a number of sponsors and partners despite not having won a single season, mainly because of the presence of its captain Virat Kohli, the #1 celebrity endorser for two consecutive years (2018-2019), and a household name in India. Similarly, Chennai Super Kings has MS Dhoni as the face of CSK.

Mumbai Indians' investment in the initial stages of IPL has built their brand value and even though Sachin Tendulkar has not played IPL for a while, his face remains associated with Mumbai Indians.

Celebrity owners such as Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and more also contribute as factors for pulling sponsors.

Since the last few seasons, the teams' social media presence is also becoming a substantial factor, as it adds to the partnership by brand campaigns run on the teams' handles gaining considerable traction.

IPL has improved the sponsorship market in India as it establishes itself as one of the premium sporting events with a mix of cricket and entertainment. The growing brand value of all teams also mirrors this notion.

Popular partnerships include jersey sponsorship, audio partnership, and more. The pandemic has given birth to new kinds, such as hygiene partnership and official mask partnerships, added to the conventional merchandising. Most teams are also able to pull associations from varying industries.

Mumbai Indians

• Total: 22
• Principal Sponsors: 2
• Associate Sponsors: 3
• Official Sponsors: 17

Samsung - Principal Sponsor

Myntra - Exclusive Fashion Partner

Cadbury Dairy Milk - Official Goodness Partner

Boat - Official Audio Partner

All Sponsors & Partners

Royal Challengers Bangalore

• Total: 27
• Title Sponsors: 1
• Principal Partners: 5
• Associate Partners: 4
• Official Partners: 17

Muthoot Fincorp - Title Sponsor

EUME - Oficial Mask Partner

Swiggy Instamart - Official RCB Partner

Milo - Official Partner

All Sponsors & Partners

Chennai Super Kings

• Total: 49
• Principal Sponsors: 7
• Associate Sponsors: 10
• Digital Partners: 9
• Radio Partners: 3
• Merchandise Partners: 20

Myntra - Exclusive Fashion Partner

Boost - Stamina Partner

Boat - Licensed Audio Partner

Clear - Confidence Partner

All Sponsors & Partners

Delhi Capitals

• Total: 17
• Principal Sponsors: 3
• Associate Sponsors: 7
• Partners: 7

APL Apollo - Principal Sponsor

Livinguard - Official Hygiene Partner

Boat - Official Audio Partner

BKT Tires - Official Partner

All Sponsors & Partners

Kings XI Punjab

• Total: 16
• Title Sponsors: 1
• Principal Sponsors: 6
• Partners: 9

Cricketnmore - Official Digital Content Partner

Boat - Official Audio Partner

Stylam Laminates - Official Partner

Spektacom - Official Partner

All Sponsors & Partners

Kolkata Knight Riders

• Total: 24
• Principal Sponsors: 1
• Official Sponsors: 9
• Official Partners: 8
• Merchandise Partners: 6

Mobile Premier League - Principal Sponsor

The Arena - Official Merchandise Partner

Boat - Official Audio Partner

BKT Tires - Official Partner

All Sponsors & Partners

Rajasthan Royals

• Total: 18
• Principal Sponsors: 4
• Official Suppliers: 4
• Official Partners: 4
• Associate Sponsors: 4
• Media Partners: 2

Niine - Principal Sponsor

BigBasket - Official Online Grocery Partner

All Sponsors & Partners

SunRisers Hyderabad

• Total: 14
• Title Sponsors: 1
• Principal Sponsors: 6
• Other Sponsors: 2
• Partners: 5

JK Lakshmi Cement - Title Sponsor

Ralco Tyres - Principal Sponsors

TCL - Official Sponsor

Colgate - Official Smile Partner

All Sponsors & Partners

The sponsors, partners, and advertisers associating with IPL have been able to sustain the league's brand value that will not have a live audience this year, in addition to the economic crisis.

The individual teams may face ups & downs with their brand value and number of sponsors, but the IPL ecosystem as a whole continues to thrive.