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In a historical development in the cricketing world as well as brand marketing, Apollo Tyres has been announced as the new lead sponsor of the Indian cricketing team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gave the deal details on September 16, 2025. This deal will be effective immediately and will run till March 2028. It will cover both men’s and women’s national cricket teams in all formats of the game.
Why the Change, and What’s at Stake
The need for this deal arose from the exit of the old sponsor, Dream 11. The online gaming company was under scrutiny from the government and faced problems under India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. As per BCCI’s old arrangement, Dream11’s contract was supposed to end by the end of 2026. However, its early termination triggered a public bidding process by the BCCI for a replacement sponsor. One of India’s leading tyre makers, Apollo Tyres then emerged as the successful bidder after the due diligence.
Financials and Brand Visibility
The huge agreement is valued at INR 579 crore over its term. Apollo Tyres will pay about INR 4.5 crore per match for bilateral and non-ICC fixtures. This is a significant increase over Dream11’s previous rate of INR 4 crore per match. The deal also entails the Apollo Tyres logo being featured on the front of both men’s and women’s team jerseys across formats—and even during overseas and ICC matches. However, it will be subject to the ICC rules on front-jersey branding.
What Does This Mean for Apollo Tyres?
As a leading tyre maker with strong roots in performance, safety, and a growing global footprint. Apollo Tyre’s this sponsorship represents a major push in brand positioning. Cricket in India has a huge reach. It is often regarded as a religion for its followers. By associating itself with Team India, Apollo Tyres will get exposure not just in traditional cricket-loving markets but also across digital, broadcast, and merchandising channels.
This is Apollo’s first major cricket sponsorship at the national level. The company’s leadership, including Vice-Chairman & MD Neeraj Kanwar, has emphasised that this is not only about commercial visibility but also about aligning with values such as trust, performance, and national pride.
From a cost perspective, while ₹579 crore is a steep investment, Apollo appears confident of returns—not only in visibility but also in strengthening brand recall, driving sales in competitive markets (both automotive and replacement tyres), and reinforcing its premium and safety credentials.
Broader Commercial & Marketing Context
This sponsorship comes amidst evolving regulatory landscapes—especially with gaming, betting, crypto, and related sectors being restricted from sports partnerships or titles by BCCI policy.
Apollo Tyres may have got a favor in a manner where many categories were excluded and it resulted in less competition for the bidding process.
In recent years, it is noticed that many major corporations have increasingly used sports sponsorships not just for brand exposure but for deeper engagement with customers and fans through fan activations, content, and digital experiences. For Apollo Tyres, there is ample opportunity to go beyond jersey branding. It can try co-branded content, grassroots engagement, sustainability messaging (for example, “green tyres” or tyre recycling), safety campaigns, etc. By doing all this, it would make sure that the deal is more than symbolic.
As for the BCCI, securing a brand that is stable and credible in the country enhances its own credibility. It would also avoid mid-term sponsorship disruptions, and preserve the commercial value of jersey space, which is highly visible globally during ICC tournaments, bilateral series, and media coverage.
What are the Potential Challenges?
Activation effectiveness: Having logos on the Indian cricket teams’ jerseys is just one aspect. The major thing will be to deliver meaningful ROI and it would require clever marketing, distribution, and storytelling so that fans perceive Apollo Tyres as more than just a sponsor.
Regulatory and compliance visibility: Brand messaging must ensure compliance with restrictions (e.g. ICC rules, BCCI guidelines), especially in major ICC tournaments where front-jersey sponsorships might have limitations.
Balancing cost vs profitability: While the spend is significant, tyre margins can be thin; Apollo Tyres will need to ensure incremental revenue justifies the investment.
Brand risk: Sports sponsorship carries risk—team performance, controversies, etc., can impact the associated brand. Apollo must plan for reputational management.
The Future Ahead!
The new Apollo Tyres jersey branding is expected to debut fully across upcoming bilateral series and ICC events. As consumer behaviour in automotive and replacement tyre markets continues to be influenced by trust, performance, sustainability, and brand prestige, this association with Team India could prove to be a high-impact lever for Apollo.
