Did moving IPL abroad impact sponsorship deals?


IPL 2023 Winner

moving the IPL abroad did impact sponsorship deals—but not always negatively. The shift came with both challenges and unexpected upsides for brands and franchises alike.

🔻 Challenges for Sponsors:

  1. Reduced On-Ground Visibility in India

    • Brands missed out on physical presence at Indian venues: banners, fan zones, activations, and stadium branding.

    • In-person fan engagement—a key part of campaigns—was gone.

  2. Uncertainty & Last-Minute Planning

    • IPL 2009 and 2020 relocations were sudden (due to elections and COVID-19, respectively).

    • Many sponsors had to quickly adjust media buys and activation strategies, or renegotiate deals.

  3. Less Local Connect

    • Regional Indian brands found it harder to justify investments without access to target-market audiences.

🔼 Opportunities Gained:

  1. Massive Broadcast Reach

    • Despite moving abroad, IPL’s TV and digital viewership in India remained strong—or even grew (especially in 2020 during COVID lockdowns).

    • Sponsors pivoted to digital-heavy strategies, boosting ROI through OTT platforms and social media.

  2. Global Exposure

    • For international brands, especially in 2020, hosting in the UAE gave them a larger Middle East + global South Asian diaspora market.

    • Some Middle East-based companies (like Etihad, Noon) gained visibility by partnering during these editions.

  3. Creative Campaigns

    • Sponsors experimented with augmented reality, virtual fan walls, and player-mic'd moments to stay relevant—new formats that may not have happened in a regular season.

💼 Notable Examples:

  • Dream11, the title sponsor in 2020, reported record user engagement despite no crowds.

  • Unacademy and Cred ramped up their brand image by creatively leveraging IPL's digital-first format.

  • IPL 2009 saw lesser Indian brand activity, but international sponsors filled the gap.

In short:
📉 Yes, there were initial hits to ground-based and local sponsors.
📈 But overall, the broadcast and digital power of IPL ensured that big brands still got massive visibility—sometimes even more creatively than before.

Want insights on how teams adapted their own sponsorship models during these overseas seasons?