Mastercard signs up as ICC sponsor for 2023 World Cup

MUMBAI: Digital payments company Mastercard has signed up as one of International Cricket Council’s (ICC) top-tier sponsors for the 2023 World Cup in India, which will be held between October 5 and November 19. With this, Mastercard joins ICC’s other global partners MRF Tyres, Booking.com, Aramco and Emirates.

According to sources, a global partnership requires an investment of $10 million per year.

They said that since the World Cup is happening in India, the ICC is seeking a premium from brands even as the demand for big-ticket sponsorship assets remains tepid. The ICC has three categories of sponsors — global partners, official partners and category partners. Sponsors get multiple benefits like media integration, in-stadium branding, tickets and hospitality.

Mastercard chief marketing and communications officer Raja Rajamannar said the company will be spending a significant sum to get the right kind of visibility during the World Cup. Incidentally, Mastercard was also the title sponsor for all bilateral matches played in India until March.

Incidentally, MasterCard was also the title sponsor for all bilateral matches played in India until March. It was paying Rs 3.8 crore per match as the Indian cricket board’s title sponsor.

While the BCCI title sponsor rights have helped MasterCard gain brand salience, the company decided not to go ahead with the partnership since the World Cup is a bigger opportunity this year.

"The biggest thing happening in India this year is the World Cup, and I cannot afford not to be present there. I also cannot afford to be everywhere," Rajamannar said in response to ET’s query about the company’s interest in the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) title sponsorship rights.

Rajamannar said MasterCard holders will get a host of benefits, including exclusive 24-hour pre-sale window for tickets, a discount on merchandise bought through the ICC website, and chance for “meet and greet” with players.

The company will also be launching a brand campaign with its brand ambassador, MS Dhoni, for the World Cup.

"Cricket is a real game with a reach. We will not restrict our media plan only to tier-1 cities; we will also reach consumers in tier-2 cities," he said.

MasterCard, he said, will explore all the mediums like TV, print, digital, outdoor and social media.

With many cricket sponsorship assets expected to open this year, Rajamannar said the company will evaluate all the deals and vie for the one that gives the maximum return on investment.

"We will evaluate all sponsorship deals that are up for grabs," he said. “None of the sponsorships are cheap, so we have to be careful to understand what we want to put our money behind based on the RoI.”