Indian cricket’s BCCI governing body has terminated its lucrative primary sponsorship deal with igaming and fantasy sports operator Dream11 after a complete ban on real money igaming was put in place in the country.
That regulation, which outlawed the operation and offering of online wagering, also banned the advertisement of such products across any aspect of the country’s wide-ranging media industry.
As soon as the ban was enacted, Dream11 announced that it would be shuttering its real-money business with immediate effect and focusing on its fantasy gaming operations.
Obviously pre-empting the massive drop in revenue from such a ban and the potential resulting inability to complete the sponsorship activity, Dream11 moved to end the BCCI sponsorship with immediate effect.
For its part, the BCCI stated that it would not be engaging with brands from the same industry in future sponsorship discussions.
Dream11 first stepped in as the sponsor of the Indian national cricket team in 2023 after the end of the BCCI’s partnership with Byju’s that year.
The deal had a reported annual value of $14.5 million, but at the time, it was said that only one other company picked up the tender document, such is the exclusive and expensive nature of sponsoring the Indian national cricket team, which is by far and away the most popular sporting entity in the country of 1.4 billion.
New players reportedly circling the prized sponsorship inventory include car manufacturer Toyota, which is a prominent cricket sponsor internationally, and an unnamed financial technology firm, with the new sponsorship fee expected to outstrip that of the Dream11 partnership.
The bidding is likely to be resolved in advance of the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, hosted in Abu Dhabi (UAE) from September 9 to 28, where India will look to defend their title.
Reportedly, the cancellation of the deal early will not net Dream11 a penalty fee due to a government regulation clause inherent within the pair’s contract.
The ban on igaming in India, and particularly Dream11’s forced withdrawal from the industry, is having a marked impact on cricket around the globe, not just in India.
Indeed, the European Cricket League, a competition for club sides on the continent organized by the European Cricket Network, has announced its suspension just days after the news from India broke, such is the importance of Dream11’s financial backing to the continued operation of the competition.
