IPL 2021: Brands ready to stick with current ad deals with Star India

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is working hard towards finding a window for the remaining games of IPL 2021. The Indian cricket board is set to hold a discussion about resuming the tournament at General Meeting on May 29. As per exchange4media, brands are ready to stick with the current advertising deal with Star India and Disney+Hotstar.

IPL 2021 was suspended earlier in May after multiple players and staff were tested positive in the bio-bubble of four teams. BCCI decided to stop the tournament with immediate effect, but they insisted that IPL 2021 is not cancelled. In three weeks of the tournament during April, 29 matches were completed. The board wants to conduct phase 2 of the IPL in September-October window for the remaining 31 matches. The tournament is definitely not going to take place in India.

Exchange4media reports that more than 80% of Star’s TV clients have chosen to continue their IPL ad deals. For Disney+ Hotstar, the figure is 60% since it has a lot of smaller advertisers. According to TAM Sports, 90+ advertisers and 165+ brands are advertising on Star’s TV network for the IPL.

For IPL 2021, Star Disney had roped in 18 sponsors including Dream11, Byju’s, Phone Pe, Just Dial, Upstox, Bingo, Kamla Pasand, AMFI, Frooti, Asian Paints, Thums Up, Vodafone-Idea, Mondelez, Amazon Prime, Groww, Cred, Garnier Men, and Havells Fans. 

Disney+ Hotstar had onboarded 15 marquee sponsors including Dream11, Upstox, Vimal Elaichi, MX TakaTak, Unacademy, Swiggy, PhonePe, Parle Agro, Mutual Funds Sahi Hai, PharmEasy, Livspace, Amazon, CoinSwitch Kuber, Xiaomi India, and CRED.

For the 29 matches completed so far, Star India is committed to paying the BCCI Rs 54.4 crores per match. BCCI will earn only 50% of total revenue from Star India and sponsors if the remaining games are not completed. According to the BCCI, if the tournament is not completed this year they are going to lose Rs 3000 crore in this year’s revenue.