80% of IPL 2025 team sponsorship locked in: CCO ITW Catalyst 2.0

ITW Catalyst, a sports consulting firm founded in 2019, recently rebranded as ITW Catalyst 2.0 to reflect its evolving approach to consumer engagement. In IPL 2024, the agency facilitated 28 sponsorship deals across 10 teams, partnering with prominent brands such as HDFC PayZapp, Arun Ice Cream, Coca-Cola, ITC, NueGo, and Ubon. Notably, the company secured deals worth over Rs 150 crore in 2023.

As the IPL 2025 ad inventory races toward a sell-out, Chintan Jhaveri, chief commercial officer of ITW Catalyst 2.0, shares with afaqs! the rationale behind the rebrand, highlighting that sports remain the company’s core expertise, but today’s consumers engage with brands across multiple passion points—live events, Bollywood, OTT platforms, and more. This approach reflects the company’s diversification.

IPL sponsorship

The IPL 2025 mega auction saw significant player reshuffles, creating opportunities for brands to realign their sponsorship strategies. “80% of IPL 2025's brand sponsorship is already sold. The excitement following the player auctions has led to a constant stream of brands wanting to join the bandwagon,” says Jhaveri.

80% of IPL 2025's brand sponsorship is already sold. The excitement following the player auctions has led to a constant stream of brands wanting to join the bandwagon,

(Trivia: Brand sponsorship involves sponsoring teams, events, or activities for visibility, like a team’s jersey offering game-long exposure. Media sponsorship, meanwhile, partners with outlets such as TV, magazines, or websites for promotion)

Jhaveri emphasises that sponsorship strategies vary widely. While some brands seek mass reach and instant visibility, others aim to activate trade networks or establish regional dominance.

“They simply want to be part of IPL. This is where we step in—mapping the brand, identifying its key objectives, and aligning those goals with the right teams, players, or associations,” Jhaveri notes.

The ITW Catalyst 2.0 research team assesses potential opportunities, which could range from digital partnerships to on-ground activations.

The consulting firm also guides brands on creative amplification, often balancing the appeal of star players such as Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma with the cost-effective impact of leveraging a broader pool of talent.

Jhaveri cites HDFC PayZapp’s partnership with Royal Challengers Bangalore as a prime example, where the collaboration extended beyond media visibility to include exclusive benefits like early ticket access for app users.

For Advanced Laminates, the goal was activating trade networks rather than traditional ad visibility. The brand launched a consumer contest offering trade partners opportunities to meet IPL players, boosting both partner engagement and consumer interest.

While many D2C brands hesitate to advertise during IPL due to the cluttered advertising environment, Jhaveri advises new-age brands to clarify their objectives before pursuing a partnership. “Each brand and category has a distinct reason for associating with IPL. Once you define your 'why,' the partnership becomes far more effective,” he highlights.

“Each brand and category has a distinct reason for associating with IPL. Once you define your 'why,' the partnership becomes far more effective,” 

Lemonn x Diljit Dosanjh 

In October 2024, Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati India tour featured an unexpected star: a mascot dressed as a lemon, representing Lemonn, an investment app. This creative campaign, executed by ITW Catalyst 2.0, exemplified the agency's knack for blending brand messaging with consumer passion points.

Jhaveri explains that in a cluttered and regulated category like investments, standing out was critical. "Our solution was to make the Lemonn Man mascot the hero of the brand. The idea was to ensure that the mascot becomes a talking point and naturally draws consumer recognition for Lemonn."

The partnership also leveraged Diljit’s hit song Lemonade, with ITW Catalyst 2.0 orchestrating negotiations between the brand, Dosanjh, and Saregama. "This ties back to our larger strategy of activating consumer passion points where brands can get maximum leverage and amplification," he adds.

This approach underscores a shift in brand strategy—from pushing messaging onto consumers to pulling them in through authentic, memorable experiences.

"For example, with Lemonn, we never disrupted the content or shouted about our association with Diljit. Instead, we let the collaboration create ripples, which made consumers seek out the brand on their own,” he highlights.

Women’s Premier League

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is rapidly emerging as a lucrative sponsorship platform. With a unique reach of 109-110 million in its second season and a valuation of $160 million (an 8% year-on-year increase, as per D&P Advisory, a provider of consulting, advisory and valuation services), ITW Catalyst 2.0 sees significant potential for brands.

Jhaveri highlights two key opportunities in women’s cricket: purpose-driven messaging for women-centric brands and broader consumer engagement for general audience-focused brands. He cites Apar Cables as an example of a company that enhanced its authenticity by associating with WPL, resonating with both consumers and trade partners.

Beyond cricket: The rise of non-cricketing sports

India’s sports sponsorship landscape is diversifying, with growing interest in sports like kabaddi and pickleball. Sports like kabaddi are gaining prominence in rural India and Tier 2-3 towns, while pickleball is ideal for engaging CXOs and urban audiences, Jhaveri notes.

He adds that kabaddi’s shorter match duration (40 minutes) and high engagement rate (50%) make it an attractive option for brands targeting specific demographics.

Zomato Live and the expanding events ecosystem

The live events and ticketing space, once dominated by BookMyShow, has seen new entrants like Zomato Live and Swiggy Scenes. According to Jhaveri, this expansion benefits both brands and consumers.

“As the ecosystem grows, brands can carve out their niche. Similarly, IPL teams and live events have unique brand values, offering diverse fan bases for marketers to target,” says Jhaveri.

“As the ecosystem grows, brands can carve out their niche. Similarly, IPL teams and live events have unique brand values, offering diverse fan bases for marketers to target,”