As Chennai Super Kings battle with Royal Challengers Bangalore on the field, their sponsors too will lock horns. MS Dhoni-led CSK have roped in Gulf air carrier Etihad Airways as the official sponsor ahead of IPL 2024. Qatar Airways sponsor RCB. As a result, two airlines companies from the middleast will sponsor two IPL teams for the first time simultaneously.
With the partnership, MS Dhoni & Co will sport Etihad Airways logo on jerseys in IPL 2024.
CSK Chief Executive Officer Kasi Viswanathan in a statement said, “This collaboration goes beyond the boundaries of a traditional sponsorship. It’s about creating an extraordinary experience for our fans and setting new standards in sports partnerships.”
“So, the investment that we are announcing today is about CSK. Cricket is a huge part of this country and deepening that relationship for us is super important,” Etihad Airways Chief Revenue Officer Arik De told PTI.
TVS not going away
However, Etihad won’t be the principal sponsor of Chennai Super Kings. Instead, it will be the back of the shirt sponsor. TVS Eurogrip tyres will continue to be the principal sponsor. MS Dhoni & Co will sport the TVS Eurogrip logo on the front of the jersey.
The collaboration with the five-time champion of IPL was announced in Chennai on Thursday. CSK players including Deepak Chahar and Rajvardhan Hangargekar were present at the Kalaivanar Arangam in Chennai.
“It is going to be a pretty deep partnership and we are going to unravel it slowly like a nice Bollywood movie unravelled itself. In the initial part, we are going to have visibility in the stadium through a hospitality suite. We’re going to be the sponsors for the T-shirt (and) the back of the T-shirt. So that’s what how we going to kick it off,” Arik De said.
According to De, Etihad Airways decided to parter with Chennai Super Kings due to their super show on the field. CSK won their fifth IPL title last season, beating Gujarat Titans in the final.
Etihad Airways is not new to sports. They are the principal sponsor of UEFA Champions League and Premier League football champions Manchester City. In addition, the UAE-headquartered airlines is also the main sponsor of Formula 1 Abu Dhabi GP.
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