Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo has pulled out as Indian Premier League’s (IPL) title sponsor from this year and the BCCI will replace it with Tata, the cash-rich league’s governing council decided in a meeting on January 11.
Following the governing council meeting, IPL chairperson Brijesh Patel confirmed that the Tata Group, one of India’s largest business conglomerates has come on board.
“Vivo has exited and the Tatas will be title sponsors,” Patel told Cricbuzz.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah called it a momentous occasion for the BCCI and IPL.
“This is indeed a momentous occasion for the BCCI IPL as the Tata Group is the epitome of global Indian enterprise with an over 100-year-old legacy and operations in more than 100 countries across six continents. The BCCI like the Tata Group is keen to promote the spirit of cricket across international borders, and the growing popularity of the IPL as a global sporting franchise bears testimony to the BCCI’s efforts,” Jay Shah said.
“We are truly happy that India’s largest and most trusted business groups has believed in the IPL growth story and together with the Tata Group, we will look to take Indian cricket and the IPL forward to greater heights,” Shah added.
Notably, Vivo has a couple of years left in its sponsorship deal with the league and during this period, Tata will remain the main sponsor. The league will now be called Tata IPL.
Vivo had a deal of Rs 2200 crore for title sponsorship rights from 2018-2022. However, the Chinese smartphone makers had paused the deal for a year in 2020 in the backdrop of the Galwan Valley military face-off between the Indian and Chinese Army soldiers, when the rights were transferred to Dream 11.
However, Vivo was back as IPL title sponsor in 2021 and the original five-year deal got extended till 2023 because of the one-year break. Following Tuesday’s GC decision, the Tata Group will step in and remain the title sponsor for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
