INDIAN PREMIER League (IPL) team the Deccan Chargers will begin the new campaign with a new lead sponsor in the form of Dubai-based airline Emirates.
Emirates has signed a three-year deal with the Hyderabad club in an agreement valued by Frontloaded at between $3m and $5m per year.
Sponsoring the Deccan Chargers represents the airline’s second foray into IPL sponsorship, having previously sponsored the Kings XI Punjab.
Being involved with the fifth edition of the IPL is a feature of Emirates' ongoing strategy to build on its presence as a major airline in India – a market it considers vital to the brand’s further development.
“The IPL has rapidly established itself as a spectacle of sport and entertainment followed by billions around the globe and will provide Emirates a platform to consolidate our position as a world force in sports sponsorship,” commented Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Vice President India and Nepal at the press conference to announce the partnership.
IPL 5 will see further lead sponsors switch allegiance as the Charger’s previous principal sponsor, Ultratech Cement, migrated to IPL side the Rajasthan Royals earlier this month in a one-year deal valued at around $3m.
UAE-based Roger Duthie, manager of group sponsorship for Emirates, is likely to have been involved in negotiations with the Deccan Chargers.
By Luke Harman
Follow Luke on Twitter: @lukeharmanSBG