BCCI Raises Reserve Prices for Cricket Title and Associate Sponsorship Rights

Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has increased the reserve price for its title sponsorship rights by more than 15% to ₹4.9 crore per match from the ₹4.2 crore that the incumbent sponsor was paying, people privy to the matter said. It also raised the base price for associate partner rights to ₹95 lakh per match from ₹82 lakh.

The title sponsorship cycle, running until March 2028, is likely to cover around 35 international matches, with a few additional matches possible, taking the total value at the base price to ₹169.8 crore. In the previous cycle comprising 56 matches, the title sponsor, IDFC First Bank, paid ₹235.2 crore.

The base price for each associate partner slot has been fixed at ₹33.3 crore. SBI Life, Campa Cola and Atomberg were the associate sponsors in the previous cycle.

The BCCI on Monday invited bids for the title sponsorship rights and quotations for the associate partner rights. The deadline for submitting bids for the title sponsorship rights is August 13. For associate partner rights, the last date is August 25.

The shorter title sponsorship cycle aligns the rights with several BCCI commercial deals, including with Adidas and Apollo Tyres that are due for renewal in March 2028, allowing the board to synchronise the sale of its key commercial properties.

The bidding process comes at a time when questions are being raised about the commercial viability of bilateral cricket, particularly test and one-day matches, as advertisers increasingly gravitate towards the T20 format. "The base price for the BCCI title sponsorship rights is very aggressive considering market sentiment," said a sports marketing expert, adding that bilateral cricket has been struggling to attract viewership.

IDFC First Bank was the only bidder for the title sponsorship last time, while competition for the associate partner rights was also limited, according to a media planning expert.

"Value appreciation of a property happens only when there are big brands in the fray," the media planner said, pointing to the intense bidding for the BCCI's front-of-jersey rights, where Apollo Tyres secured the deal for ₹579 crore, compared with Dream11's ₹358 crore in the previous cycle. Apollo Tyres outbid online design platform Canva and JK Cement, which had submitted offers of ₹554 crore and ₹477 crore, respectively.

According to WPP Media's Sporting Nation report, sports sponsorship spending in India reached ₹7,942 crore in 2025, growing 7% year-on-year. Cricket increased its share of the sponsorship market to 89% from 85% the prior year. Despite regulatory challenges, particularly the withdrawal of real-money gaming companies, the market remained resilient as traditional sectors stepped in to absorb premium inventory, supporting continued growth.