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Entrepreneurs Bowled Over By Opportunities as Cricket Fever Sweeps India

VCCircle · 6m

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is not just a successful startup in itself, but also a source of opportunities for other startups. This year, over 30 startups are participating in the IPL, with 14 direct-to-consumer (D2C) startups associated with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Despite fintech startups reducing their involvement, the IPL's massive viewership count of 505 million is too enticing to ignore. Startups also benefit from the Startup Power Play initiative by IPL broadcaster Star Sports, offering one startup per match day the opportunity to showcase a TV commercial. Cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni are also investing in startup brands, particularly in the D2C, gaming, and fintech sectors. Sports tech and entertainment apps that analyze post-match content are also gaining traction. Overall, the IPL continues to provide opportunities for startups across various sectors.