MUMBAI: Sports marketing agency Nimbus Sport has been appointed by A1 Team India to manage their commercial and sponsorship rights.
A1 Grand Prix, which positions itself as the World Cup of Motorsport, will for the first time bring in the element of national pride into automobile racing. According to an official release, A1 Grand Prix has 25 teams from across the world that win the right to race in the World Cup. The first race is at Brands Hatch, England on 25 September 2005.
The India franchise has been secured by Indian born South African tycoon Atul Gupta in partnership with Bollywood star Anil Kapoor. The official launch of Team India will follow at the end of July. It is expected that the commercial revenues of A1 Grand Prix Team India will exceed $ 25 million in the first two seasons. Only a handful of Indian companies will win the rights to sponsor the A1 Grand Prix Team India car.
Nimbus Sport has decided in consultation with A1 Grand Prix that Indian companies/brands will be given exclusive sponsorship access. This will enable a true nationalistic feel to Team India.
Gupta says, “A1 Team India Motorsport is pleased to make a meaningful contribution towards the growth and development of the motor sports sector in India. We are very excited to be working with India’s leading sports marketing company to ensure that the A1 brand and that of A1 Team India is strongly positioned within Indian sports and in generating national pride. A1 Team India looks forward to competing at the highest level and affording Indian companies the opportunity to showcase their brands, at international level, through the ‘World Cup’ of Motorsport”.
Nimbus Sport chairman Harish Thawani said, "From the Indian market’s perspective we have done the biggest things in sport including the Cricket World Cup. But nothing has excited us at Nimbus Sport since the Cricket World Cup more than A1 Grand Prix. Racing is an easy sport to follow, and the nationalistic fervour will drive A1 GP far beyond the SEC A profile of F1 right into
the Indian middle class’ hearts.”
This announcement follows Nimbus Sport’s appointment by the Asian Bowling Tour and the Mumbai Cricket Association. A major football partnership is expected to be announced by Nimbus Sport in the coming weeks, the release says.
All the races will be broadcast on ESPN Star Sports (ESS). Races are expected to be held only on the weekends in order to maximise viewership potential. Nimbus Sport handles worldwide sponsorship sales and services, television and radio licensing in various countries including India for Global Cricket Corporation (GCC)’s ICC cricket business. Nimbus is also contracted by GCC to handle airtime sales on free TV in India of the Champions Trophy next year and the Cricket World Cup in 2007.
