After a long wait, Rajasthan Royals (RR) finally confirmed a new principal sponsor for IPL 2021. RR was the only franchise left in the tournament to have a front jersey sponsor. Dubai Expo 2020 is going to feature in front of the jersey of RR after agreeing to a principal sponsorship deal with the franchise.
Sportsmint has previously revealed that Dubai Expo 2020 had negotiated a deal with RR for IPL 2020. However, the pandemic scuppered this deal. Since Dubai Expo 2020 is going to take place later this year, IPL 2021 will help in giving good exposure to the event.
Welcome @expo2020dubai, our title sponsors for this #IPL season. Together, let's unite nations, communities and people for a better future. 🤝#RoyalsFamily | #Expo2020 | #Dubai pic.twitter.com/A2LLzCiyhx
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 31, 2021
The principal sponsor was a major slot vacant in RR’s sponsorship portfolio for IPL 2021. Sources have told Sportsmint that Rajasthan has filled all slots by locking in a trouser partnership deal with the Goel group.
RR welcomed Dubai Expo by showing them on kits in a video on Wednesday. Despite this announcement, the new jersey is yet to be released. The shopping column of RR’s website is still showing last year’s kits with TV9 as the principal sponsor. The franchise is likely to announce a new kit in the coming days as the tournament is set to begin next week.
Dubai Expo deal shows more international brands in IPL
Rajasthan’s deal with Dubai Expo further underlines the interest of international brands in IPL. Going forward, more brands are likely to invest in sponsorship deals of IPL teams. Earlier this year, DHL announced its first sponsorship deal in cricket by partnering with Mumbai Indians.
Royal Challengers Bangalore brought Puma on board this week as an official kit manufacturer for IPL 2021. With IPL 2022 likely to have ten teams, international brands will focus on acquiring better deals. The viewership for IPL is huge and the tournament continues to witness growth every year. All these incentives will be appealing to more international brands in the coming years.