Brands
Budweiser 0.0 partners five IPL franchises to boost fan engagement
Fan-first campaign brings city pride, merch and match-day culture into focus
NEW DELHI: Budweiser 0.0 has announced its debut partnership with five franchises in the Indian Premier League, marking a significant step in its growing play in India’s cricket ecosystem.
The brand has teamed up with Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals for the ongoing season, aiming to connect with fans across key cricketing cities.
The collaboration signals the brand’s shift from national-level associations to more localised, city-driven engagement. It builds on Budweiser 0.0’s “In the Hands of Fans” platform, which focuses on celebrating the passion, rituals and identity that supporters bring to the game.
As part of the partnership, the brand will roll out limited-edition merchandise inspired by each of the five teams, giving fans a tangible way to showcase their loyalties. The initiative is designed to tap into match-day culture and extend fan engagement beyond the stadium and screen.
Commenting on the move, AB InBev vice president marketing & trade marketing Vineet Sharma said, “Cricket is one of India’s most powerful cultural connectors, and our debut partnership with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 reaffirmed the depth of fan passion behind it. At Budweiser 0.0, we see ourselves at the forefront of culture, acting as trendsetters for evolving fan expression, shaping how young India engages with sport, and setting the tone for how it shows up today. Entering the country’s biggest T20 cricket league, a platform widely loved by Indians, is a deliberate step in this journey, taking the brand from national fandom to the heart of city fandom. Through our partnerships with these five iconic teams, we will celebrate the pride, traditions and energy that define Indian cricket fandom, while creating experiences that keep fans at the heart of the game.”
The move also builds on the brand’s earlier association with global cricket events, as it looks to deepen its presence in India through culturally relevant storytelling and fan-led experiences.
As the IPL season unfolds, Budweiser 0.0 is betting on city pride and fan passion to drive its next innings, turning spectators into participants in the ever-evolving world of cricket fandom.
Brands
UK’s OnlyFans seeks US investor at $3bn valuation after owner’s death
The adult video platform is seeking stability after the death of its billionaire owner
LONDON: OnlyFans is looking for a new partner. The London-based adult video platform is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake of less than 20 per cent to Architect Capital, a San Francisco-based investment firm, in a deal that would value the business at more than $3bn (£2.2bn).
The move is driven by an urgent need for stability. Leonid Radvinsky, the Ukrainian-American billionaire who owned OnlyFans, died of cancer last month at the age of 43, leaving the future of one of Britain’s most profitable privately held businesses suddenly uncertain.
The choice of Architect Capital is not arbitrary. The firm has deep expertise in financial services, which aligns neatly with OnlyFans’ ambitions to offer banking products to its creators, many of whom have long struggled to access basic financial services because of the nature of their work.
The numbers behind OnlyFans are, by any measure, staggering. The platform posted revenues of $1.4bn in the year to 30th November 2024, with a pre-tax profit of $684m, up four per cent on the prior year. Payments to creators totalled $7.2bn over the same period, a rise of nearly ten per cent. Radvinsky personally collected $701m in dividends from the business in 2024 alone, on top of more than $1bn in such payments he had already received. The platform, run through its parent company Felix International, hosts 4.6m creator accounts, with performers keeping 80 per cent of subscription proceeds and the platform pocketing the remaining 20 per cent. It has 377m fan accounts in total.
The current minority stake talks represent a notable scaling back of ambitions. In January, OnlyFans was reported to be in discussions with Architect about selling a majority stake of 60 per cent. Before that, the company had explored a sale to a consortium led by Forest Road Company, a Los Angeles-based investment firm. Neither deal materialised.
OnlyFans has built an enormously lucrative business on content that mainstream finance has long refused to touch. Now, with its owner gone and a $3bn valuation on the table, it is looking for the kind of respectable institutional backing that might finally persuade the banks to take its calls.
