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Once every few years, cricket finds a way to reinvent itself. Given the advent of ODIs in the early 1970s to the proliferation of the T20 format in the second half of the first decade of this century, cricket has always been effective in beating obsolescence.
This brings us to the premise of the T10 format. Ever since its inception in 2017 as a league in Abu Dhabi, the T10 league has only gotten bigger and better in each of its subsequent seasons. It now plans to go global. The Business of Sports in SportsKeeda gained closer insights into their expansion plans during an event held in St. Regis, Mumbai on Monday, March 27.
The event, which constituted a press conference, was attended by Shaji-Ul-Mulk, Chairman of T10 Sports Management, Mr. Rajeev Khanna, Chief Operating Officer of T10 Sports Management, and celebrated players like Robin Uthappa and Mohammed Kaif.
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The T10 League expansion from the Chairman's perspective
There is no denying that the Abu Dhabi T10 League has grown exponentially over the last few years. Mr. Shaji expressed his delight as the league revealed their aspirations of reaching the Indian market, saying:
“We are thrilled to bring to India the T10 brand of cricket engaging the legendary masters of the game. The fast pace nature of the 10 overs per innings format coupled with the skill of the masters and cheered by the celebrities is bound to improve fan engagement and provide non-stop entertainment.”
Apart from what was communicated to members of the press during the press conference, we could also pick the brains of the Chairman in a one-on-one interview where he spread further light on how the league has prospered over the years. He said:
"As the formats have increased, the sponsorships have steadily increased as well. One must not forget that we started off by operating in one of the smallest markets in the world - the UAE.
"Having said that, for the last two years, the franchises are making profits. Not many franchise clubs can claim that - reaching the break-even point in season 4 or 5. Last year, our league payout was 25 percent more than the franchise fees that all teams paid."
Cricket leagues have always garnered eyeballs when you get the best players for the shorter formats. This makes it a hotbed for sponsorship deals as well. To gain a holistic understanding of the developments, we asked whether his team encountered expansion challenges from an organizational lens -
"Of course, there will be challenges. Conducting the league in a single venue is simpler but we have learnt a lot in the last 6 years. The building process is still ongoing. One of the metrics of our growth has to be how we have shifted from part-time positions from an earlier time to most of them getting converted into full-time oppurtunities. Our CEO being one of the prime examples."
It is a very interesting phase for the league. There has not been a dearth of sponsorship attention till now. However, a lot of variables have come into play now that they will be traveling to different parts of the world. We asked Mr. Shaji about his views from a commercial perspective. He replied:
"As we look forward to a new phase of exploring global locations, we are hoping for a big brand like a Mastercard or Visa, or a car manufacturing company to look at us. Because when we go to a sponsor and mention that we are going to give you 75 days of fast-paced cricket in five different places, it becomes a different conversation than asking that we are in UAE, and will you sponsor us?"
The message is clear. There is a conscious effort being made to give a part of the T10 event to big brands in different parts of the world in a consistent manner. Brands like Mastercard have been associated with the Indian women's cricket team, so there is a sporting history to each of the brands that are being mentioned. Mr. Shaji elaborated:
"Most of the times, the response that we get is if you only want to do UAE, feel free to speak to our representatives from that region. They are not interested till the time you have a global reach. Now that we have got into the global foothold, it gives us an oppurtunity to upscale ourselves."
With this narrative being established, there is a lot of scope for localized brands to make a name for themselves. But that depends on the kind of positioning that the league decides for itself. We threw in polite inquiries along similar lines. Mr. Shaji explained:
"Absolutely, we want both types of brands to be on-board with us. When the contract comes out, the relationship is already played out in specific ways for different kinds of brands. For example, when we sign an established brand like Pepsi, they will be a part of all the T10 leagues across nations like USA, Sri Lanka and India."
This is a juxtaposition of local and global brands. If you look at it from the perspective of the sponsor, it all comes down to where they are most likely to extract the best value for their buck.
For those running the league, all kinds of sponsors are most welcome, without turning a blind eye to the local sponsorships who are trying to get a foot in the door. Mr. Shaji stated:
" At the same time, we would buy in deals with local brands in places like Sri Lanka. The story is similar when it comes to India. The brands are looking forward to collaborate with the league since the sport is such a huge favourite for the masses and eyeballs are guaranteed."
The T10 League expansion from the lens of the COO
Mr. Rajeev Khanna, Chief Operating Officer of T10 Sports Management, unequivocally stated his support for the T10 format as a viable way forward for cricket to get into the Olympics and how it will help associate nations. He said:
“There is no other game in The Olympics except golf, which lasts more than 90 minutes. So that's the reason this detailed format is the best for the Olympics of the future. It also is also helping associate nations build their grass-roots in terms of cricket, which will eventually result in Cricket becoming a truly global sport.”
Having previously worked in the marketing department of the Rajasthan Royals, we know that Mr. Rajeev is just the right person from the league to ask what are the areas of focus when it comes to integration with brands. He explained:
"What we have with us is some of the legends who aren't currently playing any other regular forms of cricket. Our whole idea is how we can convert our consumer acquisition cost into a monetisable property. That is where most of our thought processes lie, as of now."
How does the dynamic change with existing brands now that the league is actively seeking out new sponsors in their attempt to go global? There are multiple aspects that need to be taken care of but Mr. Rajeev has them all covered:
"We are focusing on global brands. We are looking at brands who could partner with us for all the leagues running simultaneously. But we are not limiting ourselves to just that. If we can also stitch together certain meaningful local affiliations with brands in different countries, nothing like it."
With all these thought-provoking remarks coming our way, we went one step further in asking whether there were any lines of communication or dialog that took place between the league and all other participating teams in the T10 League when it came to securing sponsorships for their respective entities. Mr. Rajeev explained:
"Yes, we do sit together. One of our unique ways of operating is where we ask all team representatives for a meeting. In such a setting, we do take recommendations from each one of them on how we can achieve our various objectives. This includes the ideation phase for plans of action to popularise the T10 format. The conclusion is a collective decision of all the stakeholders involved."
In a logical sequence of events, we asked Mr. Rajeev if he could narrow down certain criteria that the T10 league has listed for brands to satisfy before they can land a partnership deal, to which he obliged by adding:
"The first thing has to be how respectable and recognised is the brand that we are trying to make ties with. Another aspect that becomes very important for us is to see how are they involved with sports, specially cricket. Their mantras of supporting the growth of sports. It's not just about them paying us an amount to sponsor us, it goes beyond."
The fact that most of the marketing and operations are in-house now tells us how much the league has grown since the inaugural season.
We have spoken to many business professionals pertaining to the T10 league. Before we head towards another one, let’s also catch up with some comments made by the players who will be a part of the Indian Masters T10.
Mohammed Kaif, who took a stunning single-handed catch in the recently concluded Legends League Cricket tournament, was in deep appreciation for the upcoming T10 leg on Indian shores, saying:
“I have commentated on the Abu Dhabi T10, and always wanted to play in it because it’s such an exciting format. It becomes a game of skill and power, not fitness which is especially suited to former cricketers like us. The approach of each player is also to go all-guns blazing, so expect a lot of sixes, wickets and stunning catches, which will get fans off their seats.”
Robin Uthappa, currently with the commentary team for the Indian Premier League 2023, also played in ILT20 earlier this year. He mentioned his willingness to relive his time with all the cricketers he spent the majority of his time with during his Indian tenure through the Indian Masters T10. Uthappa said:
“I think when legends of the game come together and play it brings back a lot of memories and makes you nostalgic, which I really enjoy and it's always nice for me. To be able to be a part that mindset of competing together would be absolutely the best. I am very excited as well for the Indian Masters T10, I honestly cannot wait.”
The T10 League expansion from a team owner's eye
In what turned out to be a day full of productive conversations around the commercial decisions made by those running the T10 league, we also asked Ritesh Patel, owner of Morrisville Samp Army, what he believes makes it easy to get sponsors for a team in the T10 league. He replied:
"Basically, the good performances of the talented players gets us the sponsors. The product becomes very important. The sponsors pay close attention to how the team has performed, what is the entertainment value of the team. It helps that players keeps hitting sixes as it ensures the best possible chance for the viewers to notice the brand in the jersey."
Having worked with the league during the initial phases before deciding to start his own team in what promises to be a lucrative business proposition, Mr. Patel further explained exactly what the sponsors want to see before coming up with their proposal:
"They also look whether the team is competent enough, how the captains play a role to bring out performances and sometimes there is also a following for someone from the coaching or supporting staff. So, it is the entire package where we try to field the best players. Ultimately, performances on the field always get noticed."
The thought process behind acquiring similar sponsors, whether there are any demands that need to be catered that come from the sponsors, was another fascinating topic that surfaced during our conversation in trying to decode this entire relationship between sponsors and the league/teams. Mr. Patel said in this regard:
"There are lots of conflicting interests in play. That way we have to be more careful. If someone demands for exclusivity, the prices also go up. If two brands show interest, we need to take a stand. Right now, surrogacy is big in the cricket game. So firms like the online betting companies who have their limitations, do put in efforts to get into the player jerseys."
The T10 League is a successful case study in making the sports league financially sustainable, with plenty of captivating tales of how the owners and team representatives have gone about their discussions around sponsorship deals.
With extension plans in place, it is only a matter of time before all of us will be reading another rendition of how well the league played their cards in the new markets as well.
