With the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) returning to the home-and-away format for the first time since Covid, heightened enthusiasm is anticipated this season not only from fans but also diverse brand categories targeting tier-two and tier-three cities.
Larger brands, exploring alternatives beyond cricket, are parking some of their ad money in PKL. Player bids, brand interest, and sponsorship revenues are all witnessing a significant uptick.
There’s been a 60 percent increase in brand sponsorship deals for Mumbai’s team U Mumba. While new brand partners are coming on board, Suhail Chandhok, CEO of U Mumba, said old sponsors such as Amul Macho are returning in a bigger capacity.
“We are seeing a positive response to PKL Season 10. Even as we expected a little bit of a challenge – given that the season was sandwiched by the World Cup on one side and then the IPL (Indian Premier League) on the other – people have waited for PKL to return to the home-and-away format and the pulse of the nation is very positive towards pro kabaddi at the moment,” Chandhok said.
Some of the other sponsors for U Mumba this season are Melbet Live, V John, Abros Shoes and a new entrant in the food category, Rajdhani.
New categories
Many categories are making their debut in the PKL this year. Although 2023 was a cricket-centric year and partnership conversations kicked off late, teams are seeing robust growth in brand deals as the season starts on December 2.
“We expect PKL to touch pre-Covid numbers this season with the league making a comeback with increased participation from new categories, particularly those targeting audiences beyond tier-one cities,” said Telugu Titans team owner Srinivas Sreeramaneni. “Categories such as electric vehicles, gaming, F&B and major FMCGs are joining the league, keen on tapping into the potential of tier-two and tier-three cities where infrastructure and overall distribution capacities have significantly improved post-Covid.”
What’s interesting is the shift from traditional categories such as cement and fertilisers to larger brands. And, according to Sreeramaneni, companies that initially invested Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.2 crore are pushing their spending to as much as Rs 2.5 crore.
Some global companies looking to expand their footprint in India are in talks with teams for sponsorship opportunities, people familiar with the developments said. The league is said to be the most watched in India after IPL.
In the previous season, PKL got 222 million viewers, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India, clocking a 17.5 percent increase from the 2021 season.
With the season getting bigger and more at stake, the teams are also going all out trying out and newer strategies. The Puneri Paltan team expects a 20 percent surge in sponsorship revenue this season and it is working on popularising its social media to create a buzz, amplify fan engagement and push ROI for sponsors.
“We are engaging with diverse new categories, including a fashion designer who wants their label to be endorsed by our platers. This clearly shows the popularity of the team and the league overall,” said Kailash Kandpal, CEO, of Puneri Paltan. “To further amplify our reach and engagement, we’re venturing into influencer marketing this year. We would be collaborating with three to four external content creators, alongside our players. Going forward, our target is to maintain a buzz around Puneri Paltan throughout the league season as well as before and after, a year-round presence.”
Reach, recognition
The Pune team has a lineup of sponsors including Force Motors (automobiles) as front of the jersey sponsor, and Schaeffler (auto parts and lubricants) as back of the jersey sponsor. Some of the team’s other partners are Radio City, DY Patil Hospital, Charcoal Eats and Muscle Tech.
What are the sponsors looking for? They are mostly looking for reach, recognition and relatability.
Shobhit Bahel, head of marketing and product management at Andreas STIHL, a co-partner of Puneri Paltan, said they observed that rural India is spending more time on sports than urban India and PKL has allowed the brand to extend its presence deep into the rural hearts of India.
“This is where Pro Kabaddi League came to our notice in 2019. This was the time we tied up with Puneri Paltan. Kabaddi has a long history in India but PKL with its raid bonus, do-or-die, super tackle and other innovative practices has taken the game to another level altogether. We realised that once an audience watches this game in the stadium, they can never stop watching it,” said Bahel. “What started as an experiment for us turned into a permanent association for us. And we have been continuously partnering with Puneri Paltan season on season since 2019. Many of the PKL players are from agricultural background and thus STIHL equipment becomes even more relatable with our audience and customers with the association.”