Leading Asian Tyre Maker Challenges Establishment With Global Sports Sponsorship Expansion

Indian off-road tyre specialist Balkrishna Industries Limited (BKT) is widening its international sports sponsorship portfolio.

The company has just clinched a three-year deal to be a Premium Partner of EuroLeague Basketball, gaining rights to the EuroLeague and EuroCup competitions.

While this is the company’s first dive into the world of basketball sponsorship, it further expands its growing international sporting portfolio, particularly in cricket and football. The brand has deals with the likes of the Australian T20 tournament, the Big Bash League, and European football properties such as the Spain’s La Liga, France’s Ligue 2 and the Italian Serie B.

The agreement stretches until the end of the 2022-23 season and will see BKT promote its brand through various touchpoints inside the arenas where the EuroLeague and EuroCup games are to be played as well as the tournaments’ official broadcast, digital and social media platforms. The deal was brokered by the Rome-based sports marketing consultancy, Dao Spa.

Meanwhile, in the domestic sponsorship landscape, BKT Tyres is one of the most visible brands in the Indian Premier League (IPL), thanks to a blanket approach which includes deals with six teams, including reigning champions, the Mumbai Indians, as well as the Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.

The brand has a slim sponsorship profile compared to many of the bigger international brands, but its pockets still appear to be deep, with the potential to challenge the likes of Pirelli, Bridgestone, Kumho and others.