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Exploiting the growth of the media, there are other rights such as score updates, merchandising and the world of the mobile cricket content which includes voting contests, match alerts and audio match analysis.

The merchandising around the game crossed all imagination to even include perfumes, with official limited edition fragrance released prior to World Cup 2007.
All these generate opportunities for sponsorship partner deals.

Full Coffers... What About Performance?

With so much corporate money pouring into cricket, where does performance stand? Ultimately, it is the performance that ensures flow of corporate money. India's early exit from the World Cup 2007 failed to provide the expected eyeball time for the sponsoring Indian companies. Hero Honda motorcycles are not going to be bought in Trinidad, Ireland or Jamaica, because the company is sponsoring the World Cup. They are interested in the Indian viewers who are their potential consumers. The fates of many deals are uncertain, but the recent victory over South Africa brightens the prospect as of now.

Indian cricket fans have raised its good players and given them "star" status. The most noted example is Sachin Tendulkar, a brand in himself. The star players have been able to leverage their iconic status for commercial purposes. The top players have made more money through endorsements than through playing. Now the question arises: Has money changed the motivation and nature of the game? In the first place, players get these opportunities because of their performance. If they do not sustain the performance, the companies would not prefer making them their brand advocates. The world cup debacle prompted Videocon to immediately announce dropping Dhoni from its ads. Similarly, Sansui India which had a 40-day ad campaign with Dravid, decided not to feature him in its new campaign. The company reportedly lost Rs. 6 crores in the Rahul Dravid campaign. So much money at stake!

With all the hype on the revenue, the deals, the sponsorship rights, and indeed the endorsements to individual super star cricketers, the fortunes seem to ride on the back of their performance. The effect of the whole economic cycle will be felt in the corporate world with high stakes in cricket and the advertising media. Whatever the outcome of a match or a series, the effect seems to be momentary. The fans tend to have a short memory; with one or two 'good' matches, they will once again idolize the players - with its consequent effects.

Concluded.

Dr. Mary Ipe is Professor HRM at ICFAI Business School, Kochi, Kerala.