IPL 2024 Sponsorship: Aramco and Saudi Tourism absent, My11 Circle outbid Dream11 in fantasy games category

Aramco and Saudi Tourism, prominent sponsors of the Indian Premier League (IPL), have chosen not to bid for the associate sponsorship positions, which is also known as Official Partners (OPs). The bidding process concluded on Wednesday, February 21, with My11Circle emerging victorious over Dream11 in the fantasy games category.

Dream11, a longstanding associate of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL, was outbid by My11Circle by a significant margin of over INR 110 crore. Dream11 had submitted a bid of INR 515 crore for five seasons (INR 103 crore per season), while My11 Circle's bid amounted to INR 625 crore (INR 125 crore per season), according to sources from Cricbuzz.

The outcome was unexpected for IPL viewers, considering Dream11's dominance in the fantasy games sector. My11Circle, backed by endorsements from cricketing icons like Sourav Ganguly and Shubman Gill, surprised many with its substantial investment in the IPL.

In other categories, Angel One Broking secured victory over Grow in the online category with a bid of INR 82 crore, while Grow's bid stood at INR 76 crore. Rupay, an online financial and payment system, clinched the third Official Partner (OP) slot with a bid of INR 70 crore, facing no competition in its category.

On the other hand, keeping the tradition and the habitual routine alive, CEAT, the Indian tyre manufacturer, successfully retained its strategic timeout sponsorship by agreeing to pay INR 48 crore per season, although it will not be considered an OP.

IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap sponsorship finds no bidders

However, the IPL still has three OP slots to fill, including for umpires, Orange Cap, and Purple Cap, for which no bidders have been found yet. Notably, Aramco and Saudi Tourism, despite receiving Invitation to Tender (ITT) documents, did not participate in the bidding process held at the BCCI office in Mumbai on Wednesday. Industry insiders suggest that they might still consider joining for the remaining slots.

The BCCI had released the Request for Quotation for Official Partner Rights for the IPL on January 29, with Tata Sons as the league's title sponsors. The developments in the bidding process have set the stage for an exciting upcoming IPL season, breaking the chain for the viewers who were habituated to certain sponsors over the years.