Dream11 bags Rs 358 cr deal, becomes Indian cricket team's jersey sponsor, replacing Byju's

Dream11, the fantasy sports platform, has reportedly secured the lead sponsorship rights of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a sum of Rs 358 crore.

This amount was the base price set for the rights, and Dream11 will replace Byju's as the main sponsor of the Indian cricket team for the next four years. Byju's had previously held the sponsorship but its contract expired in March 2023.

Dream11's sponsorship will begin with the Test series against the West Indies, which marks the start of the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship cycle. The series consists of eight matches and will commence on July 12, with the first Test taking place at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium in Dominica.

The President of the BCCI, Roger Binny, expressed his congratulations to Dream11 and welcomed them back on board. He stated that the BCCI-Dream11 partnership has grown steadily, reflecting the confidence, value, potential, and growth of Indian cricket. Binny also mentioned that enhancing the fan experience is a top priority, especially with the upcoming ICC FIFA World Cup, and the partnership with Dream11 is expected to elevate fan engagement.

Harsh Jain, the co-founder and CEO of Dream Sports, expressed excitement about taking the partnership with BCCI and Team India to the next level. Dream11 aims to support the Indian sports ecosystem and considers it a matter of pride and privilege to become the title sponsor of the national cricket team.

It is worth noting that Byju's had extended its jersey sponsorship agreement with the BCCI until November 2023 but terminated the agreement in March 2023. Byju's had initially replaced Oppo as the sponsor in 2019 and was also a sponsor of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Additionally, Adidas was recently announced as the apparel sponsor of the Indian cricket team.

Dream11 has previously sponsored the Indian Premier League (IPL) and acted as the title sponsor for a one-year deal when Vivo took a break from its IPL sponsorship. The platform has also had several Indian cricketers as its brand ambassadors.

The Indian cricket team is expected to debut their new kits in the upcoming away series against the West Indies, which begins on July 12.