Disney Star, the official broadcaster of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 on both TV and digital platforms, has added a new sponsor to the upcoming marquee event.
Star Sports has received a Rs 150 crore sponsorship from digital payment solutions provider PhonePe for TV advertisements, joining a growing list of popular brands that will be advertising during the cricket World Cup, which begins in a few weeks.
The 50-overs ICC World Cup mega tournament will be broadcast on Disney Star, which operates Star Sports channels and Disney+ Hotstar OTT. The World Cup will feature ten countries competing for the coveted trophy, with 48 matches scheduled.
Among others, industry giants such as Hindustan Unilever, Mahindra & Mahindra and Coca-Cola had also onboarded the 'brand' wagon, joining hands with Disney Star in multi-billion rupee sponsorship deals for the World Cup.
Arch cricket rivals India and Pakistan are set to play against each other in the World Cup and these games are usually a big crowd-puller. Media experts had also said earlier that matches involving Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand are expected to see a scale equivalent to an India-Pakistan match.
Furthermore, as women's interest in the game grows, more brands selling products for female users will look to feature during World Cup games this year.
Star Sports, which aired the Asia Cup 2023, set a new high for sports viewing in India. "With an astonishing 266 million viewers tuning in to the Star Sports' live broadcast for the tournament, excluding the final, Asia Cup 2023 has become the most-watched edition of the tournament," the business stated.