New IPL team Rising Pune Supergiants continues to add sponsors

After Marriott, Spykar and Gulf Oil come on board

The Sanjeev Goenka-owned Rising Pune Supergiants, one of the two new teams in this year’s Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL), has managed to rope in a line of sponsors.

Last week, it announced its association with Marriott International as a brand partner and has now added apparel brand Spykar and lubricant brand Gulf Oil. The team is expected to rope in 16 brands.

“We have been pitching to prospective partners for the past two months and have received great response. We have a variety of brands like hotels, mobile handsets, education and FMCG,” said Raghu Iyer, CEO, Rising Pune Supergiants.

Confirmed brand partnerships include Gemini Oils, Development Bank of Singapore, HDFC Life, Finolex and Deacon University. The team has also signed a new handset maker for the leading arm but Iyer refrained from naming it.

Sources confirmed the ticket size of these sponsorships was comparable to the average IPL rates. So the front of the jersey placement will cost brands Rs 12-14 crore.

While he refused to comment on numbers, Iyer conceded the profile of players in the team had brought brands on board. Iyer also has plans for team merchandise in the first season and has partnered with The Fan Garage.

“There will never be a dearth of brands willing to associate with the IPL. Pune has a good selection of players who will attract brands and there is the novelty factor around the team,” said Indranil Dasblah, CEO and partner, CAA KWAN, a sports and  celebrity management agency.

The franchise rights have cost the promoter Rs 16 crore a year and the team spent another Rs 58 crore on player acquisition.