Vivo to replace PepsiCo as title sponsor of IPL T20
Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo is set to replace PepsiCo as the tile sponsor of the Indian Premier League for the next two years. A formal announcement by the BCCI is expected later today.
PepsiCo took over as the title sponsor from DLF in 2013 after a Rs 396.8 crore bid for a five-year period ending 2017.
Earlier this month, PepsiCo had sent a notice to the BCCI expressing its intention to withdraw from the IPL as title sponsor because of the controversy surrounding the spot-fixing case. Sources said the company has said in its notice that the decision was related to issues that have brought the game into “disrepute”.
“Last season, Pepsi wanted to withdraw, especially in the aftermath of the spot-fixing case but the BCCI managed to convince it to stick on for another year. However, this time it was firm that it will not continue its association with the IPL, more so after the Lodha Committee recommended the suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The conflict of interest issues also had an impact,” an IPL source told The Indian Express.
Why Vivo?
A premium global smart phone manufacturer from China, Vivo entered India in late 2014. Vivo has been able to muster considerable visibility across the country in the past few months and now claims presence in more than 200 cities. Vivo claims to be among one of the fastest growing companies in India and on the top 10 smartphone brands list in the world.
Given that there is a struggle between the new Chinese smartphone brands for both visibility and supremacy in the most lucrative smartphone market in the world, it would make sense for Vivo to invest in a big deal like the IPL for an advantage. Also, most of these companies are facing the heat in China from Apple and hence need to become a big player in India at the earliest to keep up the volumes.
