The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Vivo announced on Thursday that the Chinese firm’s Indian arm will not be the title sponsor for the Indian Premier League’s 2020 edition, set to be played in the United Arab Emirates from September 19 to November 10.
“The BCCI and Vivo Mobile India Pvt. Ltd. have decided to suspend their partnership for the Indian Premier League in 2020,” the BCCI said in an unsigned media release. A statement by the mobile phone manufacturer said both parties “have mutually decided to pause their partnership for the 2020 season of the Indian Premier League”.
Vivo, which replaced Pepsi as the title sponsor in 2016, had signed a five-season deal from 2018 to 2022 worth a whopping ₹440 crore per edition.
It appears that a combination of the company seeking a reduction in the sponsorship amount because of the COVID-19-caused economic crisis, as reported in The Hindu, and the public sentiment in India following the border tension with China has led to the parting of ways. The BCCI, in all likelihood, will now initiate the process to find a new title sponsor, with the season-opener just six weeks away. It’s a given that any bid will fetch far less than Vivo’s sum.
Operational issues
In addition to the financial hit, the franchises will also have to deal with operational issues. “All our sponsors are in place and we had placed the order to manufacture kits in bulk,” said a franchise executive. “Now fresh kits will have to be made all over again once we know the title sponsor.”
