Match Highlights: From Manchester United to Team India: Apollo Tyres’ Global Sports Journey – Key Moments

oi-Debayan Bhattacharyya

Apollo
Tyres
has
emerged
victorious
in
a
high-stakes
bidding
war
to
become
the
new
jersey
sponsor
of
the
Indian
cricket
team,
securing
the
rights
with
an
impressive
₹579
crore
deal.

The
three-year
agreement
will
cover
121
bilateral
matches
and
21
ICC
fixtures,
with
the
first
appearance
of
Apollo’s
logo
set
for
the
upcoming
India
A
vs
Australia
series
in
Kanpur,
followed
by
India’s
home
Test
series
against
the
West
Indies
starting
October
2.

The
Gurgaon-headquartered
tyre
giant
outbid
tough
competitors
Canva
and
JK
Cements,
who
had
tabled
offers
of
₹544
crore
and
₹477
crore,
respectively.
According
to
MyKhel
sources,
Apollo’s
deal
works
out
to
an
average
of
₹4.77
crore
per
match,
with
slightly
higher
rates
for
ICC
tournaments
compared
to
bilateral
games.
The
BCCI
had
initially
set
a
base
price
of
₹3.5
crore
per
bilateral
game
and
₹1.5
crore
per
ICC
match.

This
development
comes
after
the
government
banned
real-money
gaming
companies
from
sponsoring
cricket
events,
leading
to
the
abrupt
cancellation
of
Dream11’s
contract
worth
₹358
crore.
With
no
sponsor
available
at
the
start
of
the
Asia
Cup,
India
went
into
the
tournament
without
a
jersey
partner,
making
Apollo
Tyres’
entry
a
timely
boost
for
both
the
board
and
the
team.

The
agreement
spans
two
and
a
half
years
concluding
in
March
2028.
Under
the
terms
of
the
deal,
the
Apollo
Tyres
logo
will
be
featured
on
the
jerseys
of
the
Indian
men’s
and
women’s
national
teams
across
all
formats
as
per
a
media
release
by
the
BCCI.

While
Apollo
Tyres
is
now
making
headlines
for
its
first-ever
cricket
partnership,
this
is
far
from
its
first
foray
into
the
world
of
sports
sponsorships.
Over
the
years,
the
brand
has
built
a
strong
global
portfolio:

Manchester
United
(EPL):
Long-time
Global
Tyre
Partner,
featuring
in
worldwide
campaigns
and
Old
Trafford
branding.

Borussia
Mönchengladbach
(Bundesliga):
Official
tyre
sponsor
in
Germany.

Crystal
Palace
(EPL):
Former
official
partner
in
the
Premier
League
as
of
2017.

Chennaiyin
FC
(ISL):
Principal
sponsor,
with
prominent
jersey
branding
and
grassroots
football
initiatives
as
of
2023.

Diósgyőri
VTK
(Hungary):
Sponsor
across
multiple
sports,
including
football
and
handball
as
of
2025.

Apollo’s
latest
deal
with
the
BCCI
is
not
just
its
most
lucrative
but
also
its
most
visible,
cementing
the
company’s
status
as
a
global
sports
marketing
powerhouse
with
deep
ties
to
football,
cycling,
and
now,
India’s
most
celebrated
sport
–
cricket.