Maxx Mobiles pulls out of IPL

Handset maker withdraws as strategic time-out, official play-off sponsor, with a year’s contract still on.

Maxx Mobiles, mobile handset provider, has withdrawn as the strategic time-out and official play-off sponsor of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket tournament.

It had signed a three-year deal (for the IPL seasons of 2010, 2011 and 2012), reportedly worth Rs 22-25 crore, in 2010. Maxx Mobiles did not respond to Business Standard’s queries.

The deal required Maxx to sponsor the four breaks of 2.5 minutes each during every IPL match. The fielding team would have to take between the sixth and eighth overs and the batting side the time-out between the 11th and 16th overs. These were based on the practice in popular leagues abroad, such as the National Basketball Association and the National Football League in America.

OTHER SPONSORS STILL ON FRONTFOOT
Brand	Sponsorship
DLF	Title sponsorship
Vodafone	Asscociate sponsorship
Citibank	Asscociate sponsorship
Volkswagen	Asscociate sponsorship
Kingfisher Airlines	Asscociate sponsorship (official umpire partner)
Pepsi	Asscociate sponsorship (official beverage partner)
Maxx Mobiles	Strategic break and playoff partner
Karbonn Mobiles	Official mobile phone sponsor

Maxx was also the sponsor of the man-of-the-match for the play-offs.

Industry officials said Maxx was not satisfied with the coverage they got during IPL matches and decided to terminate the contract. The fourth edition of the IPL wasn’t as big a hit as the earlier ones. According to data for the top six metros from TAM Sports, a division of TAM Media Research Pvt Ltd, it had an average television rating of 3.91, the lowest since the league was formed. The first season of the tournament had a rating of 5.39, the second one had 4.66 and it was 5.51 in season three.

The company has sent a formal notice to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL Governing Council. A senior BCCI official confirmed the development but said Maxx was contractually bound to complete the term. “They deal with us till 2012. The decision regarding this will be taken during the upcoming governing council meeting,” the official said.

Other IPL sponsors are DLF (title sponsor) and associate sponsors Vodafone, Citibank and Kingfisher, plus German car maker Volkswagen. Karbonn Mobiles is IPL's official mobile phone and night sponsor.