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The mega auction for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25, as announced by the BCCI. Player registration closed on Monday, with a total of 1,574 cricketers (1,165 Indian and 409 overseas) registering for the event. The auction coincides with days three and four of the first Test match between India and Australia in Perth, which starts on November 22.

Each franchise will be able to form a squad of up to 25 players (including retained players), with a total of 204 slots available. This player pool comprises 320 capped players, 1,224 uncapped players, and 30 players from Associate Nations.

Among the capped players, 48 are from India, while 965 Indian uncapped players will also be available in the auction. High-profile Indian stars like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Arshdeep Singh are expected to be part of this year’s event.

The 10 franchises collectively have around ₹641.5 crore available for the 204 slots, of which 70 are reserved for overseas players. Currently, 46 players have been retained by the 10 franchises at a total expense of ₹558.5 crore.

Each franchise was initially allocated ₹120 crore for building their squads. Following the retention process announced on October 31, the Punjab Kings have the largest remaining budget at ₹110.5 crore, having retained only two uncapped players, Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh, for ₹9.5 crore.

The Rajasthan Royals, led by Sanju Samson, have the smallest purse at ₹41 crore after retaining six players. The Kolkata Knight Riders have also retained six players, leaving them with a budget of ₹51 crore.

Mega IPL auction to take place in Saudi Arabia on Nov 24 and 25

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to become even more financially rewarding for cricketers, with the introduction of match fees for every game a player participates in. 

In a historic move announced by BCCI Honorary Secretary Jay Shah on Saturday, IPL players will now receive Rs 7.5 lakh per game, adding to their existing contracted amount.

Taking to social media platform X on September 28, Shah declared, "In a historic move to celebrate consistency and champion outstanding performances in the #IPL, we are thrilled to introduce a match fee of INR 7.5 lakhs per game for our cricketers!"

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">In a historic move to celebrate consistency and champion outstanding performances in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL</a>, we are thrilled to introduce a match fee of INR 7.5 lakhs per game for our cricketers! A cricketer playing all league matches in a season will get Rs. 1.05 crores in addition to his…&mdash; Jay Shah (@JayShah) <a href="https://twitter.com/JayShah/status/1840027111530328372?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Players participating in all league matches of a season stand to earn Rs 1.05 crore in addition to their contracted fees. Each franchise will earmark Rs 12.60 crore as total match fees for their players for the season. Shah highlighted that this marks a new era for the IPL, enriching the rewards for players' dedication and performance.

The new match fee structure is expected to take effect from the 2025 season, following the decision made at the IPL Governing Council meeting in Bengaluru. A mega auction, likely to take place in November 2024, will precede the new season.

The 2024 IPL auction saw new records being set with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) signing Australian player Mitchell Starc for Rs 24.75 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. Pat Cummins, another Australian fast bowler, was brought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 20.75 crore, making him the second costliest player in the league.

IPL players to earn Rs 7.5 lakh per game in new match fee structure

Parle Products has extended its partnership with Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) for its upcoming 10th  season. For about seven seasons, Parle and CCL have built a relationship on shared values of passion, talent, and innovation. 



As the co-presenting sponsor, Parle, through its brand Parle 20-20 has planned a initiative called Parle 12th Man, where Parle 20-20 customers will get an opportunity to be a part of their favourite CCL teams across India. To activate this, Parle has printed around 15 crore biscuit packets carrying iconic actor-player images from CCL. 



“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Celebrity Cricket League for its 10th season. Our collaboration brings together the love for cricket and the joy of indulging in Parle products. This edition we are celebrating the passionate supporters of the game with our 12th Man campaign and print around 15 Crore specially branded packs with CCL Player images. We reaffirm our commitment to enhancing the spectator experience for fans worldwide,” said Mayank Shah, Vice President, Parle Products.



“We are happy to have Parle as the Co- Presenting Sponsor for the 10th Season of CCL. Parle has been a committed partner for CCL  over the seven seasons sharing our passion towards talent and the spirit of cricket. With their continued support, CCL is scaling and we are looking forward to our biggest season this year,” said Vishnu Vardhan Induri, founder, Celebrity Cricket League.
 


CCL that brings 200+ actors from 8 different languages together starts from February 23 in Sharjah, continuing for another three weekends in India with 20 matches. The tournament will be live-streamed on Sony Sports Ten 5 and Jio Cinema along with multiple regional channels. 
 


Parle bats on cricket craze again: Extends CCL partnership for 10th season

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the extension of contracts for head coach Rahul Dravid and the support staff of Team India (Senior Men). The BCCI engaged in discussions with Dravid after the term of his contract ended following the recently concluded ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and unanimously agreed to further the tenure.


The Board acknowledged Dravid's instrumental role in moulding the Indian Team and commended his exceptional professionalism. The Board also appreciated VVS Laxman for his exemplary roles as head of NCA and as the stand-in head coach. Similar to their legendary on-field partnerships, Dravid and Laxman have worked closely in driving Indian Cricket forward.


Roger Binny, president, BCCI, said: "Mr. Rahul Dravid’s vision, professionalism, and unyielding efforts have been important pillars in Team India’s success. As Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team, you are always under immense scrutiny and I extend appreciation to him not only for embracing the challenges but for thriving in them. The performances of the Indian Team are a testament to his strategic guidance. I am delighted that he accepted the offer to remain the Head Coach, and it speaks of the mutual respect and shared vision between him and the BCCI. I have no doubt that under him, the team will continue its march to the pinnacle of success and set new benchmarks along the way."


Jay Shah, honorary secretary, BCCI, said: “I had mentioned that there is no better person than Rahul Dravid to take over the role of Head Coach at the time of his appointment, and Mr. Dravid has proven himself again with his unparalleled commitment to excellence. Team India is now a formidable unit across formats, and our top ranking in all three formats directly reflects his vision, guidance, and the roadmap he charted for the team. Having won 10 consecutive games before the final, our World Cup campaign was nothing short of extraordinary, and the Head Coach deserves appreciation for setting up the right platform for the team to flourish. The Head Coach has our full backing, and we will provide him with all the support needed for sustained success at the international level.”


Dravid said: "The last two years with Team India have been thoroughly memorable. Together, we have witnessed the highs and lows, and throughout this journey, the support and camaraderie within the group have been phenomenal. I am genuinely proud of the culture we have set in the dressing room. It's a culture that stands resilient, whether in moments of triumph or adversity. The skills and talent that our team possesses are phenomenal, and what we've stressed is following the right process and sticking to our preparations, which has had a direct impact on the overall result.


“I thank the BCCI and the Office Bearers for placing their trust in me, endorsing my vision, and providing support during this period. The demands of this role necessitate considerable time away from home, and I deeply appreciate my family's sacrifices and support. Their instrumental role behind the scenes has been invaluable. As we embrace new challenges post the World Cup, we remain committed to the pursuit of excellence."

BCCI extends contracts of head coach Rahul Dravid and the 'Senior Men' of Team India

Despite the disappointment of not winning the cup, the resilience of advertisers remained unwavering during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The season exceeded expectations when it came to ad volumes and expenditure said experts.

“In terms of ad expenditure, the season proved to be a financial triumph, boasting a total spend ranging between Rs3200 crore to Rs3300 crore. The festive season, a commercial powerhouse in its own right, amassed Rs3700 crore, with the World Cup chipping in a significant 7 percent to 8 percent to this pool,” said a leading media buyer on condition of anonymity.

The climax of the series also witnessed a frenzied last-minute rush for ad slots, with premiums soaring to Rs30 lakh to Rs45 lakh per ten seconds.

“This surge in demand was naturally fuelled by the exceptional value placed on the team's journey to the finals. Advertisers bet their money on this journey and the attention it grabbed across markets,” the media buyer added.

As per sources, the finale emerged as a true spectacle, with the India-Australia match alone witnessing a remarkable 30 percent surge in ad spends. The semi final between India and New Zealand was a close second both in terms of spends and volumes.


Talking of ad volumes, as per exclusive numbers shared by TAM Sports, ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 witnessed an indexed growth of 17 percent from all matches in terms of average ad volumes per match compared to the 2019 season.


Ad Volumes in the data provided by TAM Sports, are for advertising across 16 channels for. The analysis is based on pure advertising excluding franchisees, promos, filler, film trailer and official broadcaster.


During the 48 matches of the season, the number  of categories grew from 75 plus to 105 plus. Number of advertisers touches 95 plus from 90 plus in 2019 and the number of brands also increased from 170 plus to 225 plus.


As per TAM data, the top advertising categories this year were e-commerce, perfumes, cars, soft drinks, pan masala. The common categories between this year and the 2019 edition were perfumes/deodorant, pan masala and ecom-wallets.


The leading advertisers for the 2023 World Cup were Vine Product, known for their popular body spray brand Fogg, followed by FX Mart, Mahindra & Mahindra, Coca Cola and Hindustan Unilever.


The count of new categories stood at 55 plus, with the top five new entrants being anywhere banking, paints, footwear, consumer durables/home appliances and banking services and products.


There were also about 25 categories that were present in the 2019 World Cup but were missing this year. They were ecom-education, ecom-auto products and services, ecom-other services, ecom-auto rental services and ecom-food/grocery.


Number of new brands was an encouraging 215 plus with the toppers being Bharat Petroleum Mak, Kamla Pasand Silver Coated Elaichi, Indusind Bank Indie App, Vi Cellular Phone services and Apple iPhone 15 Pro.


This was indeed a season of exceptions. Another leading media buyer with expertise in both television and digital said allocating 10-20 percent of yearly advertising budgets to high-impact events such as the ICC World Cup and IPL is a common practice for companies but for this World Cup played in home grounds, brands have gone above and beyond, dedicating as much as 30 percent of their annual funds to the tournament.



“The increased advertising expenditures can be attributed to the tournament’s ability to engage diverse target audiences, enhance both reach and frequency, and leverage various media platforms (TV, digital) and language feeds (Hindi, English & regional),” they said.


Speaking of language feeds, as per TAM Sports, brands of HUL were top exclusive on Hindi+English language sports channels and regional language sports channels.


Top Brands on Hindi+English channels were Lux Jasmine & Vitamin C+E, Cadburys Celebrations, Close Up Ever Fresh, Kent Mineral Ro and Frooti.


Top brands on regional channels on the other hand included, Boost, Indulekha Svetakutaja Dandruff Treatment Oil, Pepsodent Germi Check, Surf Excel Quick Wash and Amul Taaza Milk.


Among the 168 common brands between these two categories, those who topped the charts were, Phonepe, Fogg, Bharat Petroleum Mak, Puro Healthy Salt and Kamla Pasand Silver Coated Elaichi.


ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 nets Rs3300 crore in ad revenue, welcomes 215 new brands

Cricket remains perennially popular in India, evident from the increasing ad sales during cricketing seasons. According to a recent TAM report, the Asia Cup 2023 recorded a notable 31 percent surge in ad volume compared to the 2018 ODI (one day international) edition.

Food and beverages claimed the top spot in ad volumes, followed by personal care/hygiene, construction, industrial and real estate, materials/equipment, services, and automotive. These top five categories collectively contributed 43% to the overall advertising during the 2023 Asia Cup, contrasting with the 2018 ODI tournament where e-commerce, wallets, smartphones, aerated drinks, and perfumes dominated.

In 2023's Asia Cup, the leading categories included perfume/deodorant, paints, biscuits, carbonated soft drinks, and cars.

Perfume/deodorant maintained its prominence across the 2018 ODI, 2022 T20, and 2023 ODI tournaments. Other consistent categories encompassed e-commerce gaming, aerated soft drinks, pan masala, smartphones, paints, two-wheelers, tires, and e-commerce financial services.

The 2023 Asia Cup featured over 30 exclusive advertising categories, spanning products like washing powder, spices, shampoo, oils, and ketchup. Vini Products emerged as the top advertiser for the tournament, with Hindustan Lever, Coca-Cola India, Kansai Nerolac Paints, and Britannia Industries securing positions in the top five list.


Asia Cup 2023 ad volumes surge by 31 percent: Cricket continues to dominate Indian advertising landscape

It all began with the Anand Mahindra, chairperson, Mahindra Group calling Mohammed Siraj a "supernatural force" unleashed on the Sri Lankans.

Indians have been commending the performance of Mohammed Siraj's pace attack in the Asia Cup Final 2023 which won him 6 wickets and led to India’s win against Sri Lanka. 

In a tweet, Mahindra expressed, “I don’t think I have EVER before felt my heart weep for our opponents… It’s as if we have unleashed a supernatural force upon them… Mohammed Siraj, you are a Marvel Avenger.”

A fan responded to the tweet saying, “Sir please give him a SUV.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I don’t think I have EVER before felt my heart weep for our opponents….It’s as if we have unleashed a supernatural force upon them… <a href="https://twitter.com/mdsirajofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mdsirajofficial</a> you are a Marvel Avenger… <a href="https://t.co/DqlWbnXbxq">https://t.co/DqlWbnXbxq</a>&mdash; anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) <a href="https://twitter.com/anandmahindra/status/1703360801585906159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“Been there done that,” was the reply from Mahindra. He was referring to the 2021 incident when he gifted a brand new Thar to Mohammed Siraj after India's Test match win against Australia. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Been there, done that… <a href="https://t.co/jBUsxlooZf">https://t.co/jBUsxlooZf</a>&mdash; anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) <a href="https://twitter.com/anandmahindra/status/1703362363733459040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Siraj himself received applause for gifting his Player of Match prize money of around Rs 4 lakh to R Premadasa Stadium's ground staff for their exemplary work in the rain-disrupted tournament.

"Have been bowling well for a long time. Was missing the edges earlier. But found them today. The wicket was seaming earlier, but there was swing today. Thought that I would bowl fuller because of the swing. When there's good bonding between fast bowlers, it's helpful for the team. I was thinking it would be great if I could stop the boundary. My best spell. This cash prize goes to the groundsmen. This tournament wouldn't have been possible without them," Siraj had said.

Anand Mahindra's response to fan asking him to gift SUV to Mohammed Siraj goes viral

India's performance during the ongoing Asia Cup has left many upset fans. But fans of cricketer Hardik Pandya at least have something to cheer about. Pandya has made a solid comeback after a career threatening back injury he suffered during the tournament back in 2018. The Baroda-born cricketer had steered Gujarat Titans to its debut victory at the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2022 as its captain. 

When Pandya first arrived on the Indian cricket scene he was seen as a young brimming all-rounder. However, his injury on the field and his out-of-field activities (the infamous Koffee with Karan episode where he made inappropriate remarks about women) ensured that he remained in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.

However, Pandya has turned a new leaf. 

Industry experts that Storyboard18 have spoken to believe that the cricketer has worked on his physical well-being, his game as well as his image. This has helped his brand equity to soar. RISE Worldwide, the sports management agency that manages Pandya’s brand portfolio, says that there has been a 30-40 percent jump in the brand endorsement value of the cricketer over the last six months. Currently, he charges around Rs 1.5-2 crore per day basis for an annual brand deal.  

Emerging leader

Pandya has about 22 million followers on Instagram alone. A total of 41 million followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He is the third-most followed cricketer on these platforms after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Nikhil Bardia, head of sponsorships sales and talent, RISE Worldwide tells Storyboard18 that Pandya’s evolution from being the cool boy in Indian cricket to a leader and family man who is committed to the craft is noteworthy.

“His leadership trait and consistent performance along with the attitude he brings to this field is unmatchable. He continues to evolve, which brands will look to leverage with long-term strategic partnerships that we will set up for him,” he says.

Pandya, for instance, has recently signed a deal with men's lifestyle brand Villain, part of India's fastest unicorn Mensa Brands. The cricketer will promote a range of men’s fragrances from the brand.

Ananth Narayanan, founder and CEO, Mensa Brands, says, "If there is anyone who truly embodies the persona of Villain with their leadership attitude, incredible style, and never-back-down energy, it's Hardik Pandya. Villain is on the road to becoming one of the fastest growing fragrance brands of the country and with Hardik joining us, it's only going to become bigger and better."

Currently, Pandya endorses a total of 11 brands across categories including BoAt, Sin Denim, Britannia and Gulf Oil India, among others. He has also signed soon-to-be announced five deals.

“We have currently signed and renewed deals at a 30 to 40 percent premium, purely credited to his distinctive style and appeal amongst the audience at large. With Hardik’s recent success and a long career ahead, we are expecting heightened interest over the coming months and we’re looking at a number of 20 brands in his portfolio by the end of this year,” says RISE Worldwide’s Bardia.



<blockquote>“Brand equity for celebrities has become a very ‘now’ thing. With the kind of data at the disposal of brands, what gets measured is the current equity a celebrity has and whether they resonate with the audience cohort in a positive way. Hardik 2.0 checks all these boxes,” says Karthik Nagarajan of Wavemaker - GroupM</blockquote>



Astounding comeback

Karthik Nagarajan, chief content officer, Wavemaker India and head - branded content, GroupM India, believes that over the last two to three years, Pandya has also evolved as a player and a leader.

“Hardik, the leader, was effortless and impactful in his first season in IPL 2022 as captain of the Gujarat Titans, which was a dream run. He has worked on his image and lets his bat and ball do the talking and his performance is the loudest expression. All of them augur well for brands that want to appeal to a generation of young sports fans that he is inspiring,” he notes.

Pandya’s successful captaincy of the Gujarat Titans has also helped him add several new brand associations, such as Amazon Alexa, MX Takatak and Taco Bell, to his existing portfolio of brands, notes Aviral Jain, managing director of Kroll, a company that provides proprietary data, technology and insights.

“He has grown his portfolio in technology and new-age segments given his strong connection with the next generation and his brand positioning of being cool, energetic and reliable. Given his recent success, consistent on-the-field performance and growing social media follower count, we expect his brand value to rise significantly in 2022 from about  $10 million in 2021,” adds Jain.

Controversy child no more

The Koffee With Karan episode aired in 2018 has caused a dent in Pandya’s image which also led to severe loss in his brand equity. Though experts believe that the controversy is in the past. Since then he's upped his game on field and teams behind the scenes have cultivated his cool family-man persona on social media.   

“Brand equity for celebrities has become a very ‘now’ thing. With the kind of data at the disposal of brands, what gets measured is the current equity a celebrity has and whether they resonate with the audience cohort in a positive way. Hardik 2.0 checks all these boxes,” says Nagarajan.

Since IPL 2022, Hardik has batted in 29 innings in white ball cricket and scored 901 runs at an average of 42.90. He has also claimed 25 wickets in just 79.3 overs, which translates to taking a wicket in every third over that he bowled.

If he continues with his consistent performance on-field it is only a matter of time that he could join the A-league of brand endorsers consisting of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Hardik Pandya 2.0: Turning a new leaf as cricketer, brand endorser

Mastercard on Monday signed an agreement with The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), replacing Paytm to become the title sponsor of all international cricket matches (both women and men) held on home ground. It is believed that the rights have been reassigned at the same price of Rs 3.8 crore per match. Alongside international matches, Mastercard will also sponsor domestic cricket tournaments including the Irani Trophy, Duleep Trophy, and Ranji Trophy organised by the BCCI as also all junior cricket (Under 19 and Under 23) matches held in India.

The BCCI sponsorship is the latest in line with marquee global properties that Mastercard is associated with including UEFA Champions League, the Grammys and the Cannes Films Festival. The company is also associated with the Australian and French Open tennis tournaments. In India, Mastercard signed the former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni as its endorser four years ago.

In an exclusive conversation with Storyboard18, Raja Rajamannar, chief marketing and communications officer, and president - healthcare business, Mastercard, talks about the BCCI deal, penetrating deep in India through sports and breaking the advertising clutter.

Edited excerpts.

What kind of value addition does the BCCI agreement bring to Mastercard?

People from India, more than any other country, are incredibly passionate about cricket. Mastercard’s brand strategy is all about connecting people with what they are passionate about. 

We have got 10 passion points globally that we focus on including sports, music, culinary, fashion, arts & culture, tourism, philanthropy and environment sustainability and health & well-being among others. In terms of sports, we started looking at soccer which happens to be the world’s largest, most-viewed sport so it’s not elitist. It’s easy to play, doesn’t require massive investment and everyone watches it.  

So, we are associated with COPA  America and UEFA. Now, the world’s second most-viewed sport is cricket and therefore deeply meaningful for us. While the epicentre of cricket is in India it is keenly watched even in the US, UAE and all British commonwealth countries. For us, it’s such a big deal to get into this space and be associated with the BCCI. It’s a big advantage for the brand because it gives a unique opportunity to connect in an area that people are truly passionate about.



<blockquote>It’s such a big deal to get into this space and be associated with the BCCI. It’s a big advantage for the brand because it gives a unique opportunity to connect in an area that people are truly passionate about.</blockquote>



Is Mastercard looking to increase its penetration deeper in the country through cricket?

Today, we have close to 2 billion consumers globally who own Mastercard and there are more than 3 billion Mastercards in circulation. We are truly a
mass brand and we want to be able to connect to people. Our brand positioning is about “connecting everyone through priceless possibilities”. It’s not for the rich and famous or the well-to-do, it's for everybody even those who do not have access to the financial system today, we connect with them. Therefore, cricket provides us with deep penetration across all the segments.

How do you plan to leverage this association and yet stand out amidst the cricket ad clutter in the country?

On an average, it has been estimated that a consumer gets exposed to about 3,000 – 5,000 ads every single day. That’s the extent of clutter which one cannot process and people simply switch off. So, it is important for us to stand out amidst the advertising crowd. 

We have multiple strategies and one of them is called experiential marketing. Under this we curate experiences that money cannot buy but being a Mastercard user helps you experience it. When people go through these experiences they are so delighted that they call it story making as opposed to advertising which is story-telling. These people will then narrate the experiences to their social circles whether it’s through Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp. 

That’s the kind of brand advocacy we get. If we curate these experiences at scale and in an economically affordable fashion we get a breakthrough from the advertising clutter and people start talking about it. This is a strategic bet that we had taken nine years ago across the 10 passion points that I spoke about and it is paying off. We intend to do the same in the field of cricket.

Secondly, it's about the creative as well. If there’s a creative angle we present that stands out and becomes the talk of the town then that makes a huge difference. ‘Priceless Platform’ of Mastercard has been built on essentially standing out. That’s the recipe we will follow in India as well.

Thirdly, we do 360-degree marketing as opposed to doing a few ads. We tread across all aspects of consumers in a meaningful and strategic kind of fashion. It’s the combination of these three approaches that we feel confident that will help us stand out.  



<blockquote>Sports is an area where people get connected very well with and we have got a good standing over the last several decades. We are trying to bring our international experience with sports to India as well.</blockquote>



Apart from cricket, which are the other sports you’re looking to associate with in India?

Particularly after India’s performance in the Asian Games, there has been a lot of attention to the game of badminton. We decided to support that sport as well and we are getting positive feedback both from the players and the fans. We also got into the sponsorship of the Delhi Golf Tournament. We are trying to get across multiple sports within India. The team is looking at the entire spectrum – it can be a given sport, or a sporting event covering multiple sports or it could be teams or individual ambassadors. That’s what we are evaluating. You will see us very active in the space in an interesting fashion.

Sports is an area where people get connected very well with and we have got a good standing over the last several decades. We are trying to bring our international experience with sports to India as well. 

We are also extremely culturally sensitive and understand the unique nuances, appeal and sensibilities that India has got. Our team in India is extremely strong as is in Asia so we are all coming together to produce something which is of profound meaning to the fans and has a profound impact on the brand. This is only the beginning and you will see a lot of action from us in India.

Do you think sports makes a brand more humane to the consumers?

Absolutely yes! Sports has got massive scale overall speaking. People’s passion and emotions come to the fore and they are really open to engage. We firstly humanise our brand through the medium of sports and connect to the fans. Mastercard moved from nowhere to becoming the fourth most-liked brand in the US four years back because of the connectivity that we have been establishing and humanising our brand. It can be through sports, music or philanthropy. It’s not about political correctness or pretentiousness; it's about authenticity. It’s about genuinely caring about the consumers and the fans and understanding their love for sports and then doing something meaningful in that space. It should not be just about throwing ads at the consumers.

Exclusive: Mastercard’s Raja Rajamannar on the BCCI deal,  cricket and sports marketing

In a rare development, arch rivals in the broadcast industry -- Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zee) and Disney Star – have forged a strategic licensing agreement this week.

As per the agreement, Disney Star will license the TV broadcasting rights of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s and under-19 global events for a four-year period to Zee for an undisclosed amount. Disney Star will continue to have exclusive digital rights for its digital platform (Disney+ Hotstar). Zee will make staggered annual payments from CY24 onwards.

Disney Star had won the rights to telecast the ICC tournaments till 2027 for $3 billion after a closed-loop bid process last week.

That deal included both digital and television rights for men's and women's ICC tournaments. It was a big plus for Disney Star, which had lost the digital rights of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the 2023-27 cycle to Viacom18 in June.

The agreement with Disney Star enables Zee to be the exclusive television rights holder of ICC men’s events, including the coveted ICC Men’s T20 World Cup (2024, 2026), ICC Men’s Champions Trophy (2025), and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup (2027), along with key ICC U-19 events.

What do they gain?

Industry analysts believe this deal will help Zee to up its sports content, attracting more ad and channel subscriptions. Disney Star will mitigate its concentration risk in one market when it comes to TV rights and continue to ride the digital wave.

Sandeep Goyal, managing director, Rediffusion, believes that it almost seems like a pre-mediated deal.

“The understanding could not have been reached overnight. In a way, it’s good for both. Disney Star can now concentrate on the selling of IPL, while Zee can put its fullest might behind the ICC offering. The arrangement is a bit unusual but cooperation is the new norm across industries,” he notes.

The deal comes in at an opportune time for Zee as it awaits the merger with Sony.

Will it generate profits?

“If they (Zee) didn’t have this deal, they would have lost an opportunity to own any major India cricket event rights till 2027,” says Naval Seth, Deputy Head of Research at Emkay Global Financial Services. Seth’s analysis says the expensive value of rights such as these often do not end up bringing in any profit.



<blockquote>“The understanding could not have been reached overnight. In a way, it’s good for both. Disney Star can now concentrate on the selling of IPL, while Zee can put its fullest might behind the ICC offering. The arrangement is a bit unusual but cooperation is the new norm across industries,” says Sandeep Goyal</blockquote>



“The prices for these rights (IPL and ICC India cricket events) have gone through the roof and recovering them would become increasingly difficult for the networks. That explains why Star, which has been dominating the India cricket broadcast space, decided to sell part of its rights,” Seth says.

Brilliant and functional move

Some experts are calling it a brilliant and functional move.

Ramsai Panchapakesan, senior-vice president and national head, integrated media buying at Zenith, says four large networks control the complete live sports (cricket) telecast space and each of them have traditionally been very protective about their rights.

But things are changing. The splitting of IPL rights between two large networks has set a new way of scaling up revenue opportunity as the audience pool will get added, when it comes to more than one network.

This has set an optimistic precedent and only goes to show how recovering the sheer volume of money that is invested in these rights becomes a Herculean task for a single network alone, he said.

“The spread is now larger,” notes Panchapakesan. The Zee-Star deal, according to him, has been further strengthened in terms of exercising the might of big media houses to interplay on their own merits.

Why Zee Network?

Panchapakesan breaks it down.

According to him, among the top four networks, Zee is the only 100 percent Indian broadcasting company with deep roots in the markets. Zee is now the single-largest network after it announced a merger with Sony. This deal only widens the horizons for amplifying reach.

As for Zee, this is a scale-up, Panchapakesan says. “Zee is a pioneer in entertainment and regional content, and, in the recent past, marque live cricket events were the missing piece. GEC can fetch limited vertical growth and there is a need to go for horizontal expansion to grow revenue. Hence, no wonder this alignment is highly strategic and it’s a first-of-its-kind partnership in the Indian media and entertainment landscape,” he says.



<blockquote>“The prices for these rights (IPL and ICC India cricket events) have gone through the roof and recovering them would become increasingly difficult for the networks. That explains why Star, which has been dominating the India cricket broadcast space, decided to sell part of its rights,” says Naval Seth</blockquote>



More collaborations on the anvil

Vinay Hegde, chief buying officer, Madison Media, says that the Star-Zee strategic alliance to telecast all ICC Men’s events for 2024-27 is the first-of-its- kind in India. It is similar to how Sky Sports and BT Sports collaborate to broadcast the Premier League.

"For Star, this could also be to ensure the recovery of their huge investments, including IPL and 2024-27 ICC events, and balance their books. For Zee, which has in the past made some unsuccessful forays into sports, this gives an opportunity to also try and establish themselves as the destination for cricket and maybe more. It’s another avenue to monetise, considering cricket is a religion in India, and will have its dedicated viewers," he adds.

For the viewers, this will now mean adding Zee channels to their bouquet (in addition to Star, Sony, Viacom18), making the viewing pool wider for cricket buffs and might have a positive impact on subscription packages.

"Considering investments in acquiring sports broadcast and streaming rights is increasing, this deal could open the doors for more such strategic collaborations in the future to widen the net, enabling better monetisation to recover the investments," Hegde concludes.

Disney Star had retained the television rights of IPL for Rs 23,575 crore, whereas the digital rights were picked up by Viacom18 for Rs 20,500 crore.

Back to merger: About the Zee-Sony deal

A merger between the Indian unit of Japan's Sony and Zee Entertainment to create a $10 billion TV enterprise will potentially hurt competition by having "unparalleled bargaining power", the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) found in an initial review, according to a report by Reuters.

The country's antitrust watchdog on August 3 sent notice to the two companies stating the watchdog is of the view that a further investigation is merited. The CCI's findings are likely to delay regulatory approval of the deal and could force the companies to propose changes to its structure as well.

Sony and Zee in December 2021 decided to merge their television channels, film assets and streaming platforms to create a powerhouse in a key media and entertainment growth market of 1.4 billion people, challenging rivals like Walt Disney Co.

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