Tournament will be called Tata IPL until 2028
In a major development for the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Tata Group has secured the title rights until 2028, marking a five-year extension to their existing deal. This accomplishment follows the group’s strategic move to match a competitive offer presented by the Aditya Birla Group, valued at INR 2500 crore. The official announcement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) came on Friday.
The Tata Group acquired the IPL title rights in 2022 after sub-licensing them from Vivo, which had decided to withdraw from the deal, citing various reasons, including concerns about its Chinese connections. Vivo’s tenure, which was supposed to be a five-year commitment starting from the 2018 season, was extended to six years due to a one-year hiatus during the pandemic.
When diplomatic tensions between India and China strained the IPL-Vivo partnership, the Tata Group agreed to contribute INR 365 crore per season, with Vivo covering the remaining value. The success of this collaboration led to the BCCI granting the Tata Group the right to match any new offers.
Notably, the BCCI had set strict conditions for potential bidders, explicitly stating that bids from Chinese companies or brands would not be entertained. This decision was influenced by the cricket board’s desire to avoid associations with firms from countries lacking friendly relations with India, a lesson learned from the challenges faced during the IPL-Vivo deal.
The Invitation To Tender (ITT) clause emphasizes, “Each bidder, which is a corporate entity, must not be incorporated in a jurisdiction/territory with which India does not have a friendly relation.” The reserve price for the IPL title rights stood at INR 365 crore, reflecting the amount paid by the Tata Group for each of the last two seasons.
