Indiantelevision.com Team

(20 March 2008 6:30 pm)

MUMBAI: The DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) has announced that Kingfisher Airlines has bagged the rights to being the official umpire partner for the league and will also sponsor all third umpire decisions during the 59 games in the forthcoming DLF IPL.

The umpire partnership deal is worth Rs 1.06 billion for a five year period. As per the agreement, Kingfisher Airlines will receive branding on the umpires’ uniform including their shirts and hats during the DLF IPL, along with several other activation opportunities around the property.

"IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi says, "I am very pleased to have the country’s premier five-star airline Kingfisher join us as the umpire partner in an exclusive five-year deal. Kingfisher Airlines has a long association with a variety of sports at both the domestic and international level including tennis, Formula 1, polo and now cricket.

"Their decision bears testimony to the fact that the DLF Indian Premier League is here to stay and is set to carve out a distinct niche for itself in the international cricket calendar.”

Kingfisher Airlines chairman and CEO Dr Vijay Mallya said, “We are delighted to extend our partnership with the DLF Indian Premier League with Kingfisher Airlines coming in as the official umpire partner. Our five-year association with the DLF Indian Premier League is further testimony of our commitment to building the Kingfisher Airlines brand through sports.

"The DLF Indian Premier League is a highly innovative concept and the Twenty20 format will undoubtedly take cricket’s popularity to a new high. Kingfisher Airlines will present the DLF IPL umpires in a completely new and modern style while retaining their critical role in the sport.”

Earlier, sports broadcaster Sony Max and World Sport Group had bagged the global media and production rights for $1.026 billion.