Title sponsorship rights have shifted hands once again and this time it is the E-commerce giant Paytm, owned by the One97 Communications group based in Noida. Taking over from the mobile manufacturer Micromax, the online company has supposedly bagged the deal for a whooping 203.28 crore rupees. The deal is for all the home bilateral series until 2019. According to the BCCI, the rights were opened for auction in early June with only two bidders, the other being Micromax itself, but the mobile company’s bid was supposedly ‘incomplete’, paving the way for the the other bidder(Paytm) to win the deal.
Kartik Sharma, managing director, Maxus South Asia along with Group MESP who helped Paytm make the winning bid, said
“Until now cricket has been dominated by other mature categories and this is the first time an e-commerce brand will be using the platform to connect and engage with its consumer base,” said an elated Kartik Sharma.
“We are elated to have Paytm as our homes series title sponsors. They are one of the new generation companies and we are delighted to partner with them. Having them for next four years will give stability and continuity to Indian cricket. With nearly 84 matches scheduled over the next four years with all major countries playing in India, we are hopeful that Paytm will be able to build a strong and strategic association with cricket.
“We are also happy that the realisation has increased by 20%. It is really good for Indian cricket. I am thankful to Paytm for their interest and faith in Indian Cricket and welcome them on board.” said Anurag Thakur, the BCCI secretary, on the deal.
“Cricket is the dream sport for us in India. Over the next four years, we will continue to invest strongly in cricket and other sports. As a growing brand which has big plans for a billion strong Indians, there is no better platform than cricket in India.” said Vijay Shekar, the CEO of Paytm.
Edited By : Akanksha Agarwal
