With the 14^thedition of IPL 2021 less than a week away, official broadcasting partner Star Sports said on Monday it has roped in 18 sponsors and over 100 advertisers across multiple brand categories.

The 18 sponsors on-boarded for the 2021 edition are Dream11, Byju’s, Phone Pe, Just Dial, Upstox, Bingo, Kamla Pasand, Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), Frooti, Asian Paints, Thums Up, Vodafone-Idea, Mondelez, Amazon Prime, Groww, Cred, Garnier Men and Havells.

The categories of advertisers include Edtech, Fantasy Sports, Beverages, Pay Wallets, Home Décor, Auto, Telecom, Consumer Durables, FMCG, and Financial Services amongst others.

Speaking about the high interest from advertisers for VIVO IPL 2021, in a statement Anil Jayaraj, EVP, Star Sports said, “We are delighted with the response received from brands across categories. VIVO IPL on Star Sports has established itself as a marquee marketing platform, and the interest among advertisers has only grown with each passing year. We have been associating and providing sponsors with customized and innovative solutions that drive high impact and engagement.”

Vivo IPL 2021 will broadcast on the Star Sports Network and stream live matches on Disney+ Hotstar starting April 9, 2021 from 7.30 pm onwards across multiple languages. Select dugout will be back on Star Sports Select with legends providing cricket enthusiasts with an in-depth analysis of each match.

According to a news report on Moneycontrol.com, which quoted unnamed industry experts, Star India this year is looking at close to Rs 200 crore (Rs. 2 billion) from associate and co-presenting sponsorship deals.

On the digital front, Disney+Hotstar has so far signed 10 sponsors for IPL 2021, including Dream11 as the co-presenting sponsor and the matches’ streaming will be co-powered by Upstox and Vimal Elaichi.

“The tournament spans across two months, giving brands the advantage to have extended engagement with their consumers and provide a platform that has the most significant brand value and recall,” the website quoted Jayaraj as saying.

Meanwhile, another news agency report said that Usha International has continued its association with five-times IPL champs Mumbai Indians for the eighth year. Usha logo will be seen on side caps and helmets of Mumbai Indians players.

UNI quoted Komal Mehra Usha International , head of sports initiatives, as saying, “Usha as a brand personifies resilience and consistency, attributes which synch beautifully with MI as a team.”

(Match photo courtesy IPLT20 website)