ICL in talks with LG, Maruti and Airtel

NEW DELHI: Subhash Chandra’s Indian Cricket League (ICL) seems to be doing all it can to steal the thunder from BCCI’s high-profile rival, Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Essel group promoted ICL, which will kick off its maiden Twenty20 championship on November 30, is learnt to be in talks with LG Electronics and Airtel for ground sponsorships. The Essel group is hoping to raise Rs 15 crore from four ground sponsors, and another Rs 15.6 crore from six team sponsors.

The group has floated an asking rate of Rs 3.75 crore per sponsor for ground sponsorships, and Rs 2.6 crore per sponsor for city-wise team sponsorships. However, it is not giving away title sponsorship and the title holding rights will remain with the ICL.

A formal announcement of the sponsorship details is expected early next week. When contacted by ET, Zee Sports president Satish Menon said, “We are in the process of signing up our team and ground sponsors. We will announce the names on November 4 or 5.”

Sources close to the developments, however, maintain that the actual signing rates are likely to be much lower than what Essel group is asking for. “Many sponsors and advertisers are apprehensive of joining hands with ICL since they don’t want to irk BCCI. That’s why, ICL is taking time getting sponsors to come on board, that too at its asking rates,” a source said.

Meanwhile, explaining the format of the sponsorship process, Mr Menon said, “We have decided to give the team sponsors merchandise rights of the players’ jerseys and they can utilise players for their brand-related activities. They will be allowed to use players of a specific team in clusters of three-four instead of using them as individuals.”

Unlike the BCCI, which has put together an extensive bidding process to sign on sponsors ‘or team owners’ to be held across eight cities, Indian Cricket League is signing up sponsors and partners through presentations. Zee Sports, which will broadcast the tournament exclusively, will begin selling airtime to advertisers around November 10, Mr Menon indicated. var RN = new String (Math.random()); var RNS = RN.substring (2,11); b2 = ‘ ‘; if (doweshowbellyad==1) bellyad.innerHTML = b2;