BCCI has increased the prices of title sponsorship rights by 15 percent.Image Credit source: PTI
BCCI has increased the reserve price (base price) of title sponsorship rights for the domestic matches of the Indian cricket team by more than 15 percent. People with knowledge of the matter said that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has increased the reserve price (minimum price) for its title sponsorship rights by more than 15 percent to Rs 4.9 crore per match. Earlier the existing sponsor was giving Rs 4.2 crore. It has also increased the base price for associate partner rights from Rs 82 lakh to Rs 95 lakh per match.
The title sponsorship cycle, which runs till March 2028, is expected to include around 35 international matches, along with some additional matches, taking the total value at the base price to Rs 169.8 crore. In the last cycle, which included 56 matches, title sponsor IDFC First Bank paid Rs 235.2 crore. The base price for each associate partner slot has been fixed at Rs 33.3 crore. In the last cycle, SBI Life, Campa Cola and Atomberg were the associate sponsors.
BCCI asked for quotations
BCCI on Monday invited bids for title sponsorship rights and quotations for associate partner rights. The last date for submitting bids for title sponsorship rights is August 13. The last date for Associate Partner Rights is 25th August. The shorter title sponsorship cycle links these rights with BCCI’s many commercial agreements (such as those with Adidas and Apollo Tyres, which are up for renewal in March 2028), allowing the board to consolidate sales of its key commercial properties.
This bidding process comes at a time when questions are being raised about the commercial viability of bilateral cricket (especially Test and ODI matches), as advertisers are increasingly attracted to the T20 format. A sports marketing expert said that considering the market mood, the base price for BCCI title sponsorship rights is very aggressive. He further said that bilateral cricket is struggling to attract spectators.
rights of jersey
According to media planning experts, last time IDFC First Bank was the only bidder for the title sponsorship, while competition for associate partner rights was also limited. The media planner said that the value of a property increases only when big brands are involved in it. He pointed to the huge bid made for the advertising rights on the front of BCCI’s jersey (front-of-jersey rights).
Apollo Tires won this deal for Rs 579 crore, whereas in the last cycle Dream11 had paid Rs 358 crore for it. Apollo Tires outbid online design platform Canva and JK Cement, which had bid Rs 554 crore and Rs 477 crore respectively.
According to WPP Media’s ‘Sporting Nation’ report, spending on sports sponsorship in India is expected to reach Rs 7,942 crore in 2025, with a year-on-year increase of 7 percent. Cricket’s share in the sponsorship market increased from 85 percent last year to 89 percent. Despite regulatory challenges—particularly the withdrawal of real-money gaming companies—the market remained strong, as the traditional sector drove continued growth by adopting premium inventory.
