Team India headed to the Paris Olympics is off to a flying start—at least on the sponsorship front. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has managed to secure about Rs 50 crore in sponsorship revenue already from reputed brands and establishments. This is about double the figure achieved (Rs 24 crore-Rs 28 crore) for the Tokyo Games in 2020, and a whopping 2,000% from pre-Rio 2016.
The growth in sponsorships and brand deals on the talent side has been significant especially for Olympic medalists Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting), Lovlina Borgohain (boxing), Manpreet Singh (hockey), Harmanpreet Singh (hockey) and exceptional performers such as Manika Batra (table tennis) and Manu Bhaker (shooting). Some of the major sponsors and brands that have come on board for the IOA include Reliance Foundation, JSW, Yes Bank, Ebco, Puma, Adani Sportsline and Aditya Birla Capital. “For talent endorsements, we have partnered with brands such as Domino’s, Adidas Global, Nike, Asics, RBL Bank, Amrutanjan, OnePlus, Red Bull, Bisleri, Britannia, Royal Enfield, Nothing Tech, Herbalife, Puma and Evocus, to name a few,” said Neerav Tomar, MD of IOS Sports & Entertainment, the official marketing agency for the IOA.
“When we joined hands with the IOA (responsible for selecting athletes to represent the country at the Olympic Games, among other global sporting events) in 2016, we observed that a proper mechanism for bringing in sponsors and ensuring delivery was lacking,” said Tomar.
“At that time, the federation typically managed to secure only one or two sponsors, such as Samsung, which was a global brand, or local sponsors like ONGC and Amul, contributing small amounts that totalled to about Rs 2 crore to Rs 2.5 crore,” said Tomar. “However, by the Rio Olympics (2016), when we partnered with the IOA, the sponsorship revenue reached about Rs 12 crore, a 500-600% increase. This marked the beginning of a positive trend,” he added.
This upward trajectory continued with the Tokyo Olympics, where the revenue almost doubled compared to Rio, reaching around Rs 24 crore to Rs 28 crore. “Looking ahead to the Paris Olympics, the sponsorship revenue is about double again, at approximately Rs 50 crore. This represents a remarkable increase of approximately 2,000% from pre-2016,” said Tomar.
Rahul Trehan, COO of IOS Sports & Entertainment, added that these deals vary from a six-digit cost for a short post or reel to a seven-digit cost for an ad and sometimes more.
These deals, beyond the financial commitments, encompass a variety of forms of involvement and activations. “For instance, if we take the figure of Rs 50 crore for licensing and access to players for shoots, imagery and certain events, the activations by these brands are typically three times that amount,” explained Tomar.
“Therefore, you can expect a minimum activation value of Rs 150 crore to Rs 200 crore from these brands. They will utilise TV, digital, print, outdoor hoardings and events to promote their association. This means the total association value with Paris is around Rs 200 crore to Rs 250 crore when considering all these factors,” he added.
On the digital front, multiple brands are engaging in various small-scale promotions. These are deals ranging from tile companies to honey brands, and one will see numerous campaigns during and around the upcoming Olympic games, which are going to be held from July 26 to August 11. Without divulging a specific figure for the marketing spends, Tomar said there are at least 40 to 50 brands that will do campaigns involving athletes and digital platforms in the coming days.
“Influencer marketing is particularly popular for the Olympic games, with brands partnering with anywhere from two to six athletes per campaign. The value of these campaigns varies based on their budgets and spending strategies,” he added.