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WPL Attracts Major Brands with Multi-Crore Deals
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced exciting new commercial partnerships for the Women's Premier League (WPL), signalling a robust commercial future for women's cricket. ChatGPT, Kingfisher Packaged Water, and Bisleri are among the latest brands to join the league as commercial and beverage partners. These new agreements, collectively valued at ₹48 crore, underscore the rapidly growing appeal and economic viability of women's cricket.
Financial Implications and Growth
These new deals add to existing partnerships with prominent brands like CEAT Limited, Tata Group, Herbalife, and Sintex, demonstrating broad advertiser recognition of women's cricket's rising popularity. Anup Govindan, head of sports sales at JioStar, which holds the broadcast rights, noted that women's cricket has "well and truly arrived" commercially. He indicated that advertiser participation is projected to grow by 17% in 2025 compared to 2024. While specific advertiser names for 2026 remain undisclosed, JioStar had secured 10 major sponsors for the 2025 season, including State Bank of India, Amul, Himalaya, and Tata Motors.
Industry estimates suggest over 70 advertisers participated during the WPL broadcast in 2025. For the 2026 season, ad rates have increased significantly, with HD and SD TV slots costing ₹60,000 per 10 seconds. Connected TV (CTV) rates are around ₹400-₹450 CPM, and mobile CPM is priced at ₹130-₹140 CPM. Despite a slight decline in the WPL ecosystem's overall value in 2025 to ₹1,275 crore from ₹1,350 crore in 2024, experts anticipate a shift towards sustainable monetization rather than aggressive growth.
Advertiser Confidence Soars Post-World Cup
A key driver for this commercial surge is the Indian team's strong performance in the recent ICC Women's World Cup. The final alone attracted a record 185 million digital viewers, significantly boosting advertiser confidence. Kshemal Waingankar, COO of Capri Sports, which owns the UP Warriorz team, highlighted that the WPL saw a 50% growth in viewership in its 2025 season, even when competing with the ICC Men's Champions Trophy. He anticipates fan interest and viewership to "catapult" during WPL 2026.
Record Viewership Projections
JioStar is projecting substantial reach for the upcoming season, estimating 200 to 250 million viewers on linear TV and 105 million viewers on digital platforms. These projections are over 50% higher than the 2025 season and are supported by the record-breaking viewership of the women's World Cup, which saw 446 million total viewers, a 166% increase over 2022. The viewership for the women's final matched that of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup final in 2024, indicating mainstream appeal.
Future Outlook and Opportunities
New brands are actively exploring WPL associations and franchise-led integrations, viewing it as a credible, high-engagement platform. The categories showing the most traction include beauty and personal care, fashion, electronics, mobility, health and wellness, nutrition, and tech-first consumer products. While concerns exist about potential budget allocations for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup, experts believe the impact on WPL spending will be minimal, with brands reportedly increasing their WPL and women's cricket budgets by 30% to 50%. Team sponsorship revenues have grown by 10% this year, and player endorsements have surged by over 25% post-World Cup success.
Santosh N, managing partner at D and P Advisory, emphasized that stakeholders can further leverage this early success by expanding the league to new cities, creating immersive digital and in-stadium experiences, running bolder marketing campaigns, and deepening fan interaction to sustain excitement.
Impact
This news signals a significant positive development for women's sports in India, enhancing its commercial viability and attracting substantial investment. It boosts confidence for brands associated with the WPL and women's cricket, potentially leading to increased market share and visibility. The growth in sponsorships and ad revenues will also benefit players and the overall sports ecosystem.
Impact Rating: 7/10
Difficult Terms Explained
- WPL: Stands for Women's Premier League, a professional Twenty20 cricket league in India for women.
- Commercial Partners: Companies that enter into agreements to sponsor an event or team, providing financial support in exchange for advertising and promotional rights.
- CPM (Cost Per Mille): A metric used in advertising to represent the cost an advertiser pays for one thousand views or impressions of an advertisement. Mille is Latin for thousand.
- WPL Ecosystem Value: The total estimated financial worth of all components related to the Women's Premier League, including broadcasting rights, sponsorships, team valuations, and merchandising.
- Linear TV: Traditional television broadcasting, received via cable, satellite, or terrestrial signals.
- CTV (Connected TV): Smart TVs or devices that connect to the internet, allowing for streaming services and on-demand content.