The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remains without a title sponsor for its home cricket portfolio, with India’s ODI series against the West Indies set to begin on September 27. The Board has yet to find a replacement following the expiry of its agreement with IDFC First Bank, according to a report by Hindustan Times.
Higher asking price fails to attract bids
The BCCI raised the asking price for its title sponsorship rights by 15.5% for the new cycle, from ₹4.2 crore (approx. US$440K) per match to ₹4.85 crore (approx. US$510K). At the base price, the rights package was expected to generate approximately ₹170 crore (approx. US$18 million).
However, the initial bidding process did not produce an offer for the title rights. The BCCI subsequently entered private negotiations with potential partners but has reportedly still not secured a deal.
The situation leaves the Board facing a decision over how to commercialise the inventory if a long-term agreement cannot be completed. One potential route would be to sell title sponsorship rights separately for individual series rather than across the full rights cycle.
Associate deals underline commercial contrast
The vacant title position comes despite the BCCI successfully increasing the value of another major component of its home sponsorship portfolio. As previously reported by cricexec, Campa, SBI Life and ChatGPT were appointed Associate Partners in agreements worth more than ₹130 crore (approx. US$14 million) combined.
Those deals cover 35 bilateral home matches through March 2028 and delivered a 44% increase in combined value over the previous cycle. The contrast leaves the BCCI with significantly higher Associate Partner revenue while its primary title sponsorship inventory remains unsold.
BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia said in a statement: “The significant growth in the value of our home season partnerships reflects the strength of the property and the confidence that brands have in the BCCI and Team India.”
Bilateral calendar faces commercial scrutiny
The lack of a title sponsor has also raised questions around the marketability of India’s bilateral home schedule. Industry experts believe the difficulty in finding a suitable partner could prompt the BCCI to reassess its approach to bilateral cricket, particularly fixtures that generate limited spectator and broadcast interest.
The Board nevertheless remains protected by its existing broadcast agreement, which runs through March 2028. That provides a significant contracted commercial foundation even as the title sponsorship position remains unresolved.
With the Associate Partner inventory now secured, the title rights are the outstanding element of the BCCI’s current sponsorship programme. Unless a longer-term partner is secured before the West Indies series begins, the Board could be left to pursue title sponsorship on a series-by-series basis.
