The Indian Premier League 2024 has commenced with a remarkable increase in viewership, leading to a surge in sponsor interest. On the opening day, Disney Star reported an astonishing 1,276 crore minutes watched, surpassing their previous IPL records. Additionally, JioCinema, the streaming partner, experienced a 51 per cent surge in viewership compared to 2023. This surge in viewership has attracted new sponsors, resulting in the total count increasing from 30 to nearly 35 within just two weeks.
According to sources, more sponsors are expected to come on board by the end of the week. Experts have also noted that the sponsorship value for both JioCinema and Disney Star remains stable. This is seen as a positive sign for the IPL, as sponsorship values have not decreased despite it being an election year.
Indranil Blah, a sports industry professional previously associated with agencies specialized in sports like Kwan and Rise Worldwide, stated, “Typically, brands become cautious during elections, but sponsorship value across TV, Digital, and total media has actually grown slightly from last season. This is especially encouraging considering the IPL schedule overlaps with election dates.”
Blah further added, “Another interesting trend is the return of traditional brands like Dabur, Parle, and Amul, while those heavily reliant on VC funding seem to be missing due to the current funding winter. Overall, the new model of divided media rights between TV and digital last year also seems to have stabilized, adding to the positive sentiment for the IPL this season.”
Dream 11 serves as the co-presenting sponsor, with JioCinema securing around 18 associate sponsors including Tata Motors, PayZapp by HDFC Bank, SBI, Cred, AMFI, Upstox, Charged by Thums Up, Britannia, Pepsi, Parle Products, Google Pixel, Haier, Jindal Steel, Vodafone, Dalmia Cements, Kamla Pasand, and Rapido. Disney Star has also finalized approximately 15 deals, with sponsors like Asian Paints, Vimal Pan Masala, Dettol, Real Fruit Juice (Dabur), Parle, Cadbury Dairy Milk (Mondelez), Charged by Thums Up, Amul, Havells, Groww, Joy Cosmetics, Rupay, HDFC PayZapp, UltraTech, and Vanessa on board. Cadbury Dairy Milk, Charged by Thums Up, Rupay, and Asian Paints are among the repeat sponsors for broadcasters.
