The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has signed Asian Paints as an “official partner” in a deal valued at approximately ₹45 crore. This partnership adds to BCCI’s growing commercial portfolio and signals strong brand interest in cricket in India.
In this article we’ll cover: the background, deal details, what it means for both the BCCI and Asian Paints, the broader sponsorship context in Indian cricket, and what to watch for.
Background: BCCI’s Commercial Evolution
The BCCI is widely regarded as one of the most commercially powerful cricket boards globally. In recent years, the board has significantly grown its revenues through broadcasting, media rights, sponsorships and partnerships.
With regulation changes in sponsorship categories (for example fantasy-gaming brands being flagged) and evolving fan engagement channels, the BCCI has been adjusting its approach to engage with brands beyond just match jerseys and TV spots.
In that context, the BCCI Asian Paints deal comes at a time when the board is strengthening its non-jersey sponsorship portfolio and diversifying into longer-term brand partnerships.
Deal Details & What Has Been Announced
- The BCCI has signed Asian Paints as a new “official partner”.
- The value of this deal is around ₹45 crore.
- With this addition, BCCI’s total earnings from its official partner bouquet (excluding jersey sponsor) are estimated to have risen to about ₹180 crore. Hindustan Times
- Existing official partners mentioned include Campa (₹48 crore), Atomberg (₹41 crore) and SBI Life (₹47 crore).
- While the exact rights, duration and activation framework of the Asian Paints deal are not fully disclosed in public reports yet, it is positioned as a multi-format association (including men’s, women’s and across formats) rather than a short-term tie up.
Why This Deal Matters: Strategic Insights
1. Brand diversification for BCCI
By adding Asian Paints, the BCCI is demonstrating its ability to attract brands outside the traditional domains of FMCG, telecom or auto. This expands the sponsorship base and builds resilience.
2. Long-term brand alignment
Asian Paints choosing to partner with the Indian cricket board, rather than focusing solely on short-term tournament tie-ups (like the Indian Premier League), suggests a deeper strategic alignment with national team cricket.
3. Leverage women’s and men’s cricket visibility
With women’s cricket gaining increased viewership and traction, brands are more interested in broader cricket platforms (both men’s and women’s). The timing of this deal is favourable in that respect.
4. Value creation for Asian Paints
For Asian Paints, partnering with the BCCI gives them mass-reach, strong brand recall and emotional connection with cricket audiences across India. For a brand in a competitive category (paints and building materials), this provides a platform for differentiation.
5. Sponsorship market signalling
Given regulatory changes (e.g., in online gaming sponsorships) and tightening of categories, this deal sends a signal that cricket boards are still highly attractive to mainstream brands, and that brand investments continue in the Indian sport ecosystem.
Implications for Stakeholders
For BCCI
- Revenue boost: With ~₹45 crore more from Asian Paints, the board strengthens its commercial base.
- Portfolio balance: The deal shows the board is not reliant on a single category of sponsor and is spreading risk.
- Enhanced brand value: More high-profile partners enhance BCCI’s overall brand equity and bargaining power for future deals.
For Asian Paints
- Visibility & reach: The tie-up gives access to millions of cricket fans in India, across formats.
- Brand positioning: Aligning with cricket may help boost Asian Paints’ brand image as a mainstream, consumer-oriented company rather than only industrial/building materials.
- Activation potential: With full rights, Asian Paints can execute creative campaigns, player endorsements, digital content-hooks and more.
For Other Brands & the Industry
- Benchmarking: The ₹45 crore number becomes a benchmark for what official-partner level at BCCI costs (outside jerseys).
- Increased competition: More brands may view cricket as a viable platform, increasing competition for rights and boosting valuations.
- Shift in sponsorship dynamics: Brands might move away from short-term promoter-heavy tie-ups to longer-term board or federation partnerships.
Points to Watch / Potential Risks
- Activation-execution gap: The value of sponsorship depends hugely on how well Asian Paints activates the deal (on-ground, digital, content, player-tie-ups). Weak execution could mean lower ROI for them.
- Clarity on rights: The full scope (duration, category exclusivity, media rights, event rights) of the deal is not yet fully public — value will depend on these terms.
- Brand-fit & relevance: Paints category has less immediate ‘sports’ association than e.g. auto or tech — Asian Paints will need to craft brand messaging that resonates with cricket fans meaningfully.
- Market saturation: With multiple large brands associating with BCCI, the risk of clutter increases — each brand must find differentiated ways to stand out.
- Regulatory / economic headwinds: Sponsorship budgets depend on macro-economics, consumer demand, building sector health etc., which could impact the paints business and thus activation budgets.
Outlook: What This Means Going Forward
- We can expect the BCCI to continue signing similar mid-to-large value partnerships, perhaps expanding into new sectors (insurance, consumer durables, home-improvement) as they did with Asian Paints.
- The paints/ home improvement category might see more sports-marketing activity, with brands leveraging cricket’s reach.
- Other boards/federations may use this deal as a reference point to negotiate higher sponsorship fees.
- Fans may see more Asian Paints branding across broadcasts, team kits, stadium signage, digital content, grass-roots cricket initiatives etc.
- For Asian Paints, this could be a stepping stone into deeper sports marketing engagement (player ambassadors, grass-roots cricket programmes, regional activations aligned with cricket zones).
Conclusion
The BCCI Asian Paints deal of approximately ₹45 crore marks a significant commercial milestone for Indian cricket and for brand-partnership strategy in India. For the BCCI, it enhances revenue diversification and strengthens its commercial base. For Asian Paints, it offers a high-visibility platform to reinforce brand equity and connect with millions of cricket fans. While the full success of the partnership will depend on how well it is activated in the coming months, the announcement itself underscores the enduring power of cricket in India’s marketing ecosystem.
