Gujarat Titans have confirmed T10 Sports and EM Sports as official sponsors for IPL 2026, adding two sports-focused properties to their commercial portfolio ahead of the season.
The signing is notable less for the brands themselves and more for what it represents — sports marketing agencies are increasingly buying sponsorship inventory on IPL franchises, not just facilitating deals for other brands. T10 Sports and EM Sports are both in the business of sports properties and athlete representation. Their presence on a franchise jersey signals a maturing ecosystem where the industry's own players are investing in cricket's biggest stage.
For Indian brand managers and media planners, this signals two things. First, IPL franchise sponsorship is no longer exclusively the domain of consumer brands with large marketing budgets — niche B2B players and industry-adjacent properties are finding ROI in the association. Second, franchise valuations are robust enough that even mid-category sponsors are willing to pay for visibility across a full IPL season.
Gujarat Titans finished third in IPL 2023 and have maintained commercial relevance despite inconsistent on-field performance — a reminder that IPL franchise brand equity operates largely independent of match results.
With JioCinema reporting record ad inventory sales for IPL 2026 and on-ground sponsorship rates up an estimated 18-22% year on year, the commercial machinery around cricket continues to outperform every other sports property in India by a considerable distance.
The question for brands sitting on the sidelines is no longer whether IPL sponsorship works. It is whether they can still afford to wait.