-By Ankita Dutta
Hrithik Roshan’s active lifestyle apparel brand, HRX, has entered into an official fan merchandise partnership with Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Jerseys produced by HRX will be worn by these teams during the IPL tournament, which is hugely popular across India.
The Indian Premier League enjoys a massive following in India, with brands seeking to enhance their profiles and boost their customer base among the league’s millions of fans. As a result, this is a great collaboration for HRX, as the brand seeks to build an ecosystem that attracts customers with an active lifestyle.
“Sports as a whole is something HRX focuses towards and this is the ecosystem that we want to build,” said Pallavi Barman, business head and fitness ambassador of HRX. “While you may have seen HRX being a popular active wear choice for gully cricket, we are consciously collaborating on sports events like Roots Amateur Cricket league.”
Exceed Entertainment and Hrithik Roshan founded HRX in 2013, and it has since established retail outlets and leading e-commerce platforms across India. The partnership with the IPL teams is a major coup for the brand.
The IPL is India’s biggest domestic sports league, with an estimated brand value of $6.8 billion. Over the years, it has attracted numerous global heavyweights, teams and associations who have an interest in enhancing their brands.
Two years ago, Chinese smartphone maker Vivo replaced PepsiCo as the main sponsor of the IPL, in a deal worth $330 million. It was one of the largest sponsorship deals in global cricket history and marked a shift away from US consumer giants backing Asian sports organisations.
However, this year’s IPL saw the arrival of Chinese logistics company Gati, which took on a sponsorship with two competing teams. Such sponsorships remain an area of interest for brands, particularly those looking for increased brand recognition among India’s millions of consumers. In the highly competitive world of sports sponsorship, such deals represent an opportunity to gain a foothold in diverse markets and build a customer base.
