Red Bull Inks Fresh Partnership With Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 

With the explosive growth of the energy drink market in India in recent years, Red Bull obviously wants a larger slice of the pie and is poised to back the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) this season. 

Under the deal, the brand has been named the official energy drink partner for PKL Season 11. The collaboration seeks to engage fans and provide immersive experiences both online and at the stadium. 

The deal is tipped to significantly drum up PKL 11’s appeal and exposure. Red Bull and PKL will provide fans with one-of-a-kind opportunities to interact with the action, creating an unrivalled, immersive sporting experience. Apart from PKL, the energy drink is backing Indian Super League (ISL) team FC Goa for the 2024/25 season. 

According to ASN data, Red Bull (10.2%, ~US$11.8m) is the 3^rd largest spender for its category in the Asian sponsorship market since Q122, with a quarterly average of US$1m during this period. 

The popular energy drink’s spending is forecasted to hit US$867k for Q424, while this figure is still slightly below the quarterly average spend of US$1m, it is certainly above the investment between US$635k and US$799k from Q123 to Q324. 

Historically, the brand’s biggest deals in the region have been in motorsports and football, namely a US$3.5m deal with Honda Moto GP team, Asian Talent Cup (US$348k), Moto GP Japan (US$218k) and an ongoing deal with the Vietnamese National Football team worth US$1m+ per year.  It also backs live music events and celebrity endorsements  between the US$50k and US$300k range.