The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set for a record-breaking commercial run at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, with sponsorship and advertising rates climbing sharply as the tournament approaches.
Sponsorship packages for the event have increased by up to 50 percent compared to the 2022 edition. Title sponsorship is priced between ₹20 and ₹35 crore, presenting or co-sponsorships between ₹8 and ₹15 crore, while associate partnerships fall in the ₹4 to ₹8 crore range. Digital bundles for OTT and connected TV, including home-screen takeovers and India-match mid-rolls, are offered at ₹1 to ₹4 crore. On JioHotstar, CPMs are pegged at ₹500–600, underscoring the premium being placed on digital audiences.
Ad rates on television have risen as well. JioStar, the official broadcaster and streaming partner, has raised pricing by 10–15 percent compared to 2022. A 10-second slot is quoted at ₹1.5 lakh, with premium inventory for India fixtures and knockout matches going up to ₹3 lakh. JioHotstar’s OTT inventory is also in demand, adding another dimension for advertisers seeking reach and frequency.
The 2025 edition will be the 13th Women’s World Cup, beginning on 30 September and jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka. India will stage the tournament for the fourth time, having hosted in 1978, 1997, and 2013, while Sri Lanka will debut as a World Cup host. The opening fixture will see India Women face Sri Lanka Women at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. All matches will start at 3:00 pm IST to capture prime-time audiences across the subcontinent.
The ICC has also announced a record prize pool of US$13.88 million, with US$4.48 million (₹122.5 crore) reserved for the champions, significantly higher than the US$3.5 million awarded in 2022.
Brands from FMCG, e-commerce, technology, and financial services are among the leading investors this year. Advertising executives confirm that India matches are already attracting 25–40 percent higher rates, as women’s cricket continues to build momentum beyond cause-led marketing and into mainstream sports sponsorship.
Commenting on the occasion, Rajiv Dubey, Vice President, Head of Media, Dabur India, said, “Advertiser interest in the Women’s World Cup is likely to be higher than in 2022, but with rising ad rates, brands are becoming more selective about which games, devices, and audiences to target. The real surge will come if India progresses to the semi-finals and finals, as that is when associations can build stronger equity around women’s cricket rather than just one-off campaigns.”
Yasin Hamidani, Media Care Brand Solutions, added, “Advertisers seem mostly positive, seeing the rate hikes (10–15%) as justified. Many believe women’s cricket has moved from being a ‘nice-cause’ to a serious commercial property. Brands are excited by the dual channels (TV + OTT), younger and more gender-balanced audiences, and the storytelling potential that comes with women’s sport.
“In 2022, women’s cricket was growing but still often tied to men’s events; standalone sponsorships were rarer. For the 2025 World Cup, multiple brands across FMCG, e-commerce, tech, finance, etc., are coming in early and asking for premium inventory. Also, ICC has officially decoupled women’s events from men’s for sponsorship, making the women’s tournament its own commercial product.”
Umesh Bopche, CEO of Experience Commerce and CYLNDR India, continued, “Brands are leaning in more aggressively this year, and the reasons trace back to what’s changed since 2022. Then, awkward New Zealand time zones dampened live viewing in India, and while engagement was record-breaking, the property still lacked full pricing power. In 2025, the tournament sits in India/Sri Lanka with 3:00 pm prime-time starts, prize money has jumped fourfold to $13.88m, higher even than the men’s 2023 purse, and women’s cricket has proven its ability to drive audience momentum, with the 2022 edition already setting digital engagement records at 1.64 billion views.
“That combination has shifted advertiser sentiment from ‘test and learn’ to ‘buy with intent.’ India games on TV are commanding 25–40% higher rates than 2022, and connected-TV CPMs are the steepest riser as big-screen viewing in metros accelerates. The strategy mix is clear: TV for reach, CTV to deepen frequency in high-value households, OTT overlays for sharper product pushes, layered with women-forward creative, athlete IP, and festival tie-ins. Far from softening demand, higher rates are now seen as the cost of entry to a property that’s scaling fast.”
With prime-time matches, an expanded prize pool, and record advertiser demand, the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 is shaping up to be a landmark edition, one that cements women’s cricket as a premium sporting property both in India and worldwide.
