IPL 2021: BCCI-Vivo deal back in place for three years

The IPL chairman also confirmed that IPL 2021 will most likely see fans return to the stadium.

Chinese smartphone makers Vivo are back in the IPL fold, after taking a break in title sponsorship for a year. The announcement was made by IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel at the mini-auction in Chennai on Thursday. “I am happy to announce that Vivo is back on board with us. This edition of the league will be known as the Vivo Indian Premier League. Welcome back team Vivo,” he said.

IPL Trophy (IPL/Twitter)

It has been reliably learnt that Vivo’s return is not just for this edition but the five-year contract, which was in place earlier, has been reinforced. Effectively, Vivo will continue as IPL title sponsors for three more years at R440 crore per year.

This spells good news for BCCI. It had to take a 50 % cut on sponsorship money last year after mutually breaking ties with Vivo temporarily. The anti-China sentiment in the country due to the border situation ahead of the winter IPL made it impossible for both parties to continue. “Taking note of the border skirmish that resulted in the martyrdom of our brave jawans, the IPL Governing Council has convened a meeting next week to review IPL’s various sponsorship deals,” said a tweet on IPL’s official handle on June 19.

Subsequently, BCCI decided that the contract would not be terminated. “The BCCI and Vivo Mobile India Pvt. Ltd. have decided to suspend their partnership for the Indian Premier League in 2020,” BCCI said in an unsigned media release. A statement made by Vivo said both parties “have mutually decided to pause their partnership for the 2020 season of the Indian Premier League”.

Vivo was replaced by Dream 11, which bagged the title rights for only R222 crore when IPL moved to the UAE last year. Following record viewership numbers for the 2020 edition, BCCI and Vivo have decided to join hands again. “When BCCI needed to act as per sentiment of the country, we acted last year,” BCCI Treasurer Arun Dhumal said when asked if the anti-China sentiment was factored in by the Indian board.

A Vivo spokesman said: “Whatever is out, is out in the public domain. We have no comments to offer.”