KOLKATA: With the fourteenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) just nine days away, brands are scrambling to hammer out partnerships with teams in order to maximise their visibility and reach during this super popular cricket extravaganza. The latest to join the bandwagon is the esports platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) which has come on board as the principal sponsor for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after signing a three-year sponsorship deal.
The association with MPL commenced last year, when it bagged the principal sponsorships for both the franchises of the Knight Riders brand, that included KKR and Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the IPL and Caribbean Premier League (CPL) respectively.
Taking the relationship forward, the three-year sponsorship deal begins this year with IPL 14 and will go on till the year 2023. KKR and MPL will look to create greater fan engagement opportunities and unique experiences that bring the game closer to the audiences.
“MPL is a vibrant e-sports company which has grown rapidly through some amazing energy and innovation. It’s been a great journey for KKR with MPL and we look forward to deepening and broadening our relationship,” KKR CEO and MD Venky Mysore said.
“We are proud to extend our partnership with the Knight Riders. Last year’s beginning was very fruitful for the brands and we organised some great fan engagement activities together, which we will take forward this year and in the subsequent editions of the IPL. KKR is one of the most watched teams in the IPL and being on the front of their jersey adds a lot of salience and visibility to our brand,” MPL co-founder and CEO Sai Srinivas said.
IPL 2021 will kick off on April 9, and two-time league champions KKR will play against the other eight teams in 14 matches. KKR will play their first match on April 11 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Last week, KKR signed on wire and cable manufacturer RR Kabel as official sponsor. The brand will feature as the leading trouser branding for all KKR team players for IPL 2021.
