The BCCI kicked off the bidding process for Indian cricket's title sponsorship rights over a month ago but companies haven't really shown much interest.
The board floated tenders on July 20 with a deadline set for August 13. According to a recent Cricbuzz report, either nobody submitted a bid or the offers just didn't meet BCCI's expectations.
Right now, BCCI is actively talking with a few brands. Google Gemini (known for AI), Spinny, and SBI Life are all reportedly in discussions for the sponsorship rights.
Why aren't companies jumping at BCCI's title rights?
The biggest issue seems to be the base price. BCCI raised it to Rs 4.85 crore per match, about 15.5% higher than the previous rate of Rs 4.2 crore. IDFC First Bank, the current rights holder pays Rs 4.2 crore for every home game—rate set three years ago.
This time, BCCI is only offering the rights for two years. The deal runs until March 31, 2028 and covers roughly 35 home matches: 10 Tests, 12 ODIs, and 13 T20 Internationals. BCCI's Invitation to Tender says, 'For tendering purposes only… BCCI presently expects that it may host approximately 35 Chargeable Matches during the Rights Period, subject always to the final schedule determined by BCCI.'
Compare this to the last three-year sponsorship, when IDFC First Bank covered 55 international matches for Rs 231 crore. If a new sponsor takes the rights at the base price now, BCCI will pocket at least Rs 171 crore for two years. If bids go higher, BCCI's earnings will too.
Several agencies—GroupM, ITW, and Sporty Solutions—bought the ITT document, which was up for sale from July 20 until August 5 for a non-refundable Rs 1 lakh fee.
BCCI isn't rushing, since Team India's first home international is scheduled for September 27, during West Indies' visit. There's also a three-match T20 series against Afghanistan in mid-September, but officially, those are home games for the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
Meanwhile, BCCI just issued a Request for Quotation for Associate Partner Rights for its events, with bids due by August 25. That said, they can't finalize an Associate Partner until the title sponsor is settled, because both can't be from the same sector.
For Associates, BCCI set different reserve prices: beverage brands pay more. The board says, 'Reserve price for the Rights for each Chargeable Match is INR 95,00,000. If the category is cold beverages, the price jumps to INR 1,15,00,000 per match.'
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