Editorial illustration for Google Gemini secures IPL sponsorship for Rs 270 crore as AI brands vie for deals
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Google Gemini secures IPL sponsorship for Rs 270 crore as AI brands vie for deals
Soft drink and tire companies have dominated cricket sponsorships for years. Now the algorithm wants its name on the jersey. Google's Gemini AI has paid roughly 270 crore rupees to become an official sponsor of the Indian Premier League, a price tag that announces its arrival in the big leagues of mass marketing.
This is not an isolated play. The design platform Canva, another product built on automated intelligence, recently bid 554 crore rupees to be the main shirt sponsor for the entire Board of Control for Cricket in India. Apollo Tyres ultimately won that deal for 579 crore.
The point stands. Companies whose core product is artificial intelligence are now writing checks large enough to compete with century-old industrial brands.
Industry executives say AI-driven brands are increasingly competing with established companies for high-profile cricket sponsorships. In 2024, design platform Canva bid ₹554 crore for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shirt sponsorship but lost to Apollo Tyres, which secured the rights for the 2025-2028 cycle at ₹579 crore. According to the ET report, more partnerships between AI platforms and cricket properties are expected, with such companies likely to spend more than ₹300 crore on sponsorships alone, excluding television and digital advertising. The TATA IPL 2025 reached a combined viewership of around one billion across television and digital platforms during the season, marking one of the biggest audiences in IPL history.
A billion viewers is the figure that makes this math work. For an AI brand, sponsoring the IPL is a brute-force solution to a fundamental problem. These tools exist mostly in browsers and apps, invisible to the vast majority of people who will never read a tech blog.
Putting Gemini on a boundary board during a last-over thriller is about moving from niche utility to household name. It is a purchase of cultural legitimacy. The next round of sports rights auctions will feature more of these bids from companies that deal in models and data, not physical goods.
The legacy brands will still be there. They just won't be alone.
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Common Questions Answered
How much did ChatGPT invest in the Women's Premier League (WPL) sponsorship?
[cricexec.com](https://www.cricexec.com/chatgpt-joins-wpl-as-premier-partner-as-bcci-lands-us5-million-in-new-sponsorship-deals/689564877/) reports that ChatGPT joined as a Premier Partner in a sponsorship deal worth approximately US$5.4 million across the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The deal is part of a broader sponsorship package that includes four major partners, signaling growing commercial interest in women's cricket.
What other brands joined the WPL sponsorship alongside ChatGPT?
According to the article, Kingfisher Packaged Drinking Water also came on board as a Premier Partner, while Bisleri joined as the official Beverage Partner. Additionally, CEAT renewed its position as the Strategic Time-Out Partner, continuing its support from the WPL's inaugural season.
What did the BCCI President say about these new sponsorship deals?
BCCI President Mithun Manhas stated that the new sponsorships demonstrate the WPL's emergence as a globally impactful sporting property. He emphasized that the confidence shown by leading international and Indian brands is a strong endorsement of the league's remarkable growth and progressive vision.
Further Reading
- Google’s Gemini enters IPL as sponsor in Rs 270 crore, three-year deal — Economic Times
- IPL expands sponsorship portfolio with lucrative Gemini AI deal — Sportcal
- Gemini Bags IPL: Google's AI Inks ₹270 Cr Deal - Whalesbook — Whalesbook
- New (AI)nnings: ChatGPT, Gemini prompt a new wave in cricket sponsorship — Moneycontrol
