IPL: Saudi tourism replaces Unacademy as official partner

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has become one of the official partners of the Indian Premier League for the 2023 season, replacing edtech company Unacademy, an ad industry executive said. STA is the second Saudi entity to sponsor IPL, after Saudi Aramco which is the exclusive sponsor of Orange Cap and Purple Cap, which are given to the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker, respectively, every season. The sponsorship amount will be similar to what Unacademy was paying, executive said.

"Each of the six IPL official partners is paying an average of ₹60 crore for 74 matches."

Emails sent to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and STA remained unanswered till press time on Thursday.

The Saudi agency has identified India as a key market to boost its inbound tourism. It will be undertaking aggressive marketing campaigns in India to get more visibility and the IPL sponsorship is part of that.

As part of its plans to cut down on advertising expenditure, Unacademy cofounder Gaurav Munjal announced in July that the company would not continue with its IPL sponsorship in 2023.