Hockey India eyes ₹10-15 crore per year from sponsorships

The league in its 2.0 avatar is looking to ink deals for three-five years from various sponsorship deals, multiple sources familiar with the discussions told Mint. “While the talks are still in early stages, these two companies are in the fray right now. The finalities are yet to be finalized, but the company is expecting ₹5-7 crore from the title sponsorship," one of the persons cited above said.

While emails sent to HIL and Hero MotoCorp remained unanswered till the time of going to press, representatives of Coal India denied the development.

Also read | Can the new Hockey India League replicate IPL’s success?

Mint earlier reported that the HIL would be returning this December after a seven-year hiatus, but with a more streamlined structure aimed at building a sustainable league.

New structure

This edition will feature eight men’s and six women’s teams, marking the first time the league will have separate competitions for men and women. The season will kick off on 28 December and is set to conclude in February, with matches limited to two venues—Rourkela and Ranchi—to help control operational costs.

In 2013, too, the HIL signed a multi-year title sponsorship deal with two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp. Under this partnership, the league was officially branded as the “Hero Hockey India League."

Mint has also learnt that there is also a second public sector unit that the league is in discussions with for the same sponsorship.

Also read | Hockey India League to return in a new avatar with lower costs, fewer venues

In an interview with Mint last month, Dilip Tirkey, president of Hockey India and a former India captain, had said that “the IPL (Indian Premier League) has given us a good model, and this will also have the format of a central pool." He said the income from television rights and title sponsorships will provide a part of the proceeds to the franchises.

In its previous run, the HIL faced high operational expenses, with player salaries, travel and venue costs proving burdensome for franchise owners. Despite initial interest, some franchise owners, including the Jaypee and Wave groups, eventually exited the league, while the Sahara group scaled back its involvement. Limited sponsorship revenue and low broadcast earnings contributed to the league’s suspension in 2017, despite its role in spotlighting Indian hockey and creating opportunities for domestic players to compete with international talent.

Global hockey success

With India’s recent successes in global hockey—such as the men’s team winning two bronze medals at the Olympics and the women’s squad’s improved international rankings—Hockey India aims to foster renewed enthusiasm for the sport. This time, the organizers are focusing on long-term viability, with Tirkey saying there was a need to reduce franchise expenses to keep the league sustainable.

He had also said that the new league will invite an investment of a few hundred crore, the details of which will be finalized in the coming weeks. The men’s franchise fee will be around ₹7 crore and women’s teams will invite a franchise fee of ₹3 crore per year, for a 10-year period. Hockey India did not publicly disclose the franchise fee for the earlier version.

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This new league will also have new owners including Tamil Nadu’s The Charles Group, which will run the Chennai men’s team. Yadu Sports will own the Lucknow men’s team. JSW Sports will operate the men’s and women’s team ‘Punjab & Haryana’.

Additionally, Shrachi Sports has the Kolkata men’s and women’s team, and tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi-led SG Sports and Entertainment will own the Delhi teams. Vedanta Ltd has the franchises for the Odisha men’s team, while Resolute Sports has the Hyderabad men’s team. Navoyam Sports Ventures will own the Ranchi men’s and Odisha women’s team.