The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has raised the reserve price for Team India’s title sponsorship rights by more than 15%, increasing the minimum amount brands must bid as the governing body prepares to launch its next commercial cycle for one of cricket’s most valuable sponsorship properties.
According to a report by The Economic Times, the BCCI has increased the reserve price for the title sponsorship rights to INR 4.9 crore (approx. US$505K) per international match, up from INR 4.2 crore (approx. US$433K) per match paid by incumbent sponsor IDFC First Bank during the previous cycle.
The new sponsorship agreement will run until March 2028 and is expected to cover around 35 international matches, with additional fixtures potentially increasing the total value. At the reserve price, the package is valued at INR 169.8 crore (approx. US$18 million), compared with the previous agreement worth INR 235.2 crore (approx. US$24 million) across 56 matches.
Associate sponsorship prices also increase
The BCCI has also raised the reserve price for its associate partner rights, with each sponsorship slot now carrying a base price of INR 95 lakh (approx. US$98K) per match, up from INR 82 lakh (approx. US$85K) in the previous cycle.
Based on the new commercial structure, each associate sponsorship package has a reserve value of INR 33.3 crore (approx. US$3 million). SBI Life, Campa Cola and Atomberg held the associate partner rights during the previous commercial cycle.
BCCI aligns commercial rights ahead of 2028 renewals
The governing body has invited bids for the title sponsorship rights, with submissions closing on 13 August, while companies interested in the associate partner rights have until 25 August to submit their quotations.
The shorter commercial cycle also brings the sponsorship rights into line with several of the BCCI’s other major agreements, including its partnerships with Adidas and Apollo Tyres, which are due for renewal in March 2028. Aligning those properties is expected to give the board greater flexibility when negotiating its next round of commercial partnerships.
“The base price for the BCCI title sponsorship rights is very aggressive considering market sentiment,” a sports marketing expert told The Economic Times.
Bilateral cricket remains under commercial scrutiny
The revised pricing comes as the commercial value of bilateral cricket continues to be closely watched, with advertisers increasingly favouring T20 competitions over Test and One-Day International cricket.
“Value appreciation of a property happens only when there are big brands in the fray,” a media planning expert told The Economic Times.
The report pointed to the BCCI’s recent front-of-jersey sponsorship auction as an example of strong competition driving higher valuations. Apollo Tyres secured that agreement for INR 579 crore (approx. US$60 million) after outbidding Canva’s INR 554 crore (approx. US$57 million) offer and JK Cement’s INR 477 crore (approx. US$49 million) bid. The previous deal with Dream11 had been valued at INR 358 crore (approx. US$37 million).
Despite changing advertiser preferences and the withdrawal of real-money gaming companies from the market, India’s sports sponsorship sector continues to grow. According to WPP Media’s Sporting Nation report, total sports sponsorship spending reached INR 7,942 crore (approx. US$819 million) in 2025, with cricket increasing its share of the sponsorship market from 85% to 89%.
