MUMBAI: Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals has secured its highest ever sponsorship revenue owing to a record 25 brand partners, the team said in a press statement. The JSW Group and GMR co-owned team saw a significant 50 per cent jump in revenues from 2020.
With IPL 2020 being played behind closed doors for the first time, many franchises saw a dip in their brand values and revenues, due to loss of in-gate receipts as well as reduced sponsorship deals. The IPL brand value itself fell by 3.6 per cent. However, according to financial consultancy firm Duff & Phelps, Delhi Capitals witnessed the least drop in brand value among all teams, at a negligible one per cent. Moreover, in 2020 while many sports brands across the globe struggled to stay commercially viable due to the impact of the pandemic, Delhi Capitals managed to retain and exceed its 2019 sponsorship revenue.
In 2021, the Delhi-based franchise has on-boarded a record 25 partners, nine more than the previous year. The team’s diverse profile of brands includes home-grown corporates such as JSW, GMR and Jio along with international MNCs including LG, Optimum Nutrition, Colgate and Nissin. The team, which is replete with promising young talents of Indian cricket, has also attracted many youth-centric brands such as Acko, Phone Pe, MX Taka Tak, and Wrogn Active. Most significantly, some of the team’s partners are new entrants who have chosen Delhi Capitals as their launch-pad into the IPL sponsorship world including Cornitos, Evolut and OctaFX.
The franchise has also secured valuable licensing associations across apparel, fanwear, credit cards and audio products, driving greater fan engagement and penetration to its pan India fanbase.
One of the major reasons behind the team’s recent commercial success is its adaptation to the shift in global sports sponsorships where traditional sponsor entitlements like tickets, match-day experiences and in-stadia branding rapidly lost value. In response, Delhi Capitals quickly pivoted focus to maximising the potential of its digital content and social media, to add value to their partners. The upward trajectory of the team’s digital strategy is evident by the record 450 million views garnered on its video content in 2020. Last year, the franchise also witnessed a follower growth of 32 per cent on Facebook and Instagram, the highest among all teams.
Furthermore, innovative collaborations with international digital consultants like Horizm, which use AI for monetising and managing social media inventory, has helped the franchise secure more digital savvy brands through content and cause-led marketing.
One such content-driven association is the team’s landmark, digital deal with global trading company OctaFX which sees the brand exclusively sponsor DCTV, the franchise’s fan-favourite digital video content asset.
Apart from its strong digital footing, the young and promising Delhi-based franchise’s commercial appeal is further enhanced by its impressive on-field performance, with the 2020 runners-up being tipped as serious title-contenders for the upcoming IPL. The well-rounded squad with a prominent Indian core and marquee international players further has made Delhi Capitals emerge as an exciting marketing platform.
Delhi Capitals CEO Vinod Bisht said, “Delhi Capitals is committed towards achieving greater heights, not only on the field but also off it. In a time where global sports brands continue to deal with commercial uncertainties, our forward-looking marketing strategy has helped us capitalise on emerging trends and secure our highest ever sponsorship revenue till date. The team’s talented squad, along with our strong connect with our fans has made our franchise an ideal avenue for brands. We are thankful to all our partners for their support for our maiden title-hunt.”
