Player auction on November 20; six franchises for season 2 of IBL

BADMINTON ASSOCIATION OF INDIA (BAI) on Wednesday announced that Sportzlive will be its official marketing and sponsorship partner for the second season of IBL which will be held from January 2 to 17 next year.

It will feature six franchisee teams and the player auction for national and international players has been scheduled for November 20.

The deal gives a mandate to Sportzlive to approach corporates, brands and business owners for various available sponsorships and franchisee slots in the League.

Announcing the appointment, Akhilesh Das Gupta, president, BAI said:

“As we move towards launching IBL season 2, we are enlisting the support of professionals to help us make the league a success. Sportzlive with its experience of sports management and marketing will help us achieve our objectives. We believe IBL is poised to become a prime property in the Indian broadcasting and digital space.”

 The chairman of Sportzlive, Atul Pande, said:

“We at Sportzlive are privileged to partner with BAI and IBL. We believe the property has great potential to become one of the flag bearers in the Television arena."

“Badminton is second most monetised product in India in terms of product sales and there is no reason why it can’t be big on TV. Under Dr Dasgupta’s able leadership, Indian badminton players are now amongst the best in the world, and that should also translate to better viewing and higher revenues for the federation," he added.