The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has signed up Chinese consumer electronics brand Haier as a major sponsor for its premier event, the men's Asia Cup.
Through a deal unveiled yesterday (September 7), Haier becomes the gold sponsor of the 2025 Asia Cup, which is taking place as an eight-team Twenty20 tournament across India and Sri Lanka, between September 9 (tomorrow) and 28.
The tie-up will involve Haier's branding being prominent in the stadia used for the event, including at "high-impact touchpoints throughout the tournament."
This will include perimeter advertising and big-screen space, as well as "immersive in-stadia activations," with the aim of engaging fans directly.
Previous sponsorships Haier has had in place across top-tier cricket include agreements covering the Indian Premier League T20 tournament, as well as the ICC's 2024 Men's World T20.
The firm, in addition, is also a sponsor of multiple high-profile top-tier tennis events, including the Australian Open.
NS Satish, Haier Appliances India's president, has said: "Through this partnership, we aim to forge meaningful connections with India’s new generation of consumers by delivering brand experiences that truly resonate with their aspirations. It also provides a powerful platform to showcase Haier’s cutting-edge innovations, designed to empower smarter living with technology that is intuitive, relevant and crafted for today’s fast-evolving lifestyles.”
Elsewhere, Australian pay-TV broadcaster Foxtel has announced that its streaming service Kayo Sports will cover every game of the Asia Cup live.
Each of the 19 games from the tournament - which will involve two groups of four teams each, followed by a Super Four stage and then a final - will be covered both by Foxtel and by Kayo, which has a Kayo Freebies tier as well.
The tournament will feature the following teams: Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, the UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong.
Foxtel will also be the main domestic broadcaster for Australia's summer of cricket, which will include a five-test series against England - the latest instalment of the iconic 'Ashes' rivalry.