IPL 2020: Unacademy is the new official sponsor, to spend Rs 30-35 cr on brand activations

IPL 2020 will go down the memory lane for many reasons. From a game without fanfare (though there are talks that the UAE government might allow limited spectators if safety norms are met) to a likely record-breaking TV viewership; the league this year promises to have its own highs and lows, and might possibly become a new reference point as far as live sporting is concerned.
After e4m first reported the exit of Future Group as the IPL official sponsor, it is now learnt that Unacademy has come to the rescue of the league and will be spending close to a total of Rs 120 crore over the next three years.
It must be mentioned that Future Group decided to exit the official sponsorship deal as the company is currently negotiating a takeover and is reeling under an unprecedented market climate. Many say BCCI has imposed a penalty on Future Group for this sudden exit, however e4m could not verify it independently.
People in the know of the matter have told e4m that Unacademy will be spending a significant part of its sponsorship amount on digital and on-ground activations, despite limitations posed by Covid. The company plans to spend Rs 30-35 crore on brand activation this season.
“Unacademy’s customers are those who follow IPL closely. Plus, it fits into its brand narrative. Also, the kind of national visibility that you can get with this property is unmatchable apart from the varied ways brands can activate their reach,” said a source close to this deal.
“Brand activations this time will be challenging given the limited options. However, there is a lot of thought being put into how to make it bigger despite these limitations," he added.
With Unadacemy loosening the purse strings, the 13th edition of IPL is inching closer to an impressive central sponsorship revenue, despite the prevailing market sentiment where brands are unwilling to part with big monies.
If we look at IPL 2019, the total central sponsorship revenue stood at Rs 618 crore. Out of this, Vivo’s contribution alone stood at Rs 440 crore as the title sponsor, while official sponsors (Tata Motors, Dream11 and Future Group) contributed a collective sum of Rs 120 crore. The remaining Rs 58 crore came in from Paytm and CEAT.
This year so far, the central sponsorship revenue has crossed the 50 per cent mark and stands at Rs 350-plus crore already. Out of this, Dream11 alone has pledged Rs 222 crore and the rest is being pooled by official sponsors, strategic timeout partners and the umpire partner.
According to experts, even if the total central sponsorship revenues touch Rs 400 crore, it will be a big success for the league given the prevailing market sentiment. And it seems well on its way to achieve it.