Google’s AI platform Gemini has made a high-profile entry into the Indian Premier League (IPL) as an official sponsor under a three-year agreement estimated to be worth around ₹270 crore. The partnership is expected to deliver extensive brand visibility for Gemini across IPL assets, including pitch-side hoardings, on-ground branding, and media backdrops, highlighting how artificial intelligence brands are increasingly leveraging cricket’s unmatched reach in India to build mass awareness.
The deal marks another milestone in the growing intersection between AI platforms and cricket sponsorships. With IPL commanding one of the largest audiences in global sport across television and digital platforms, the association offers Gemini access to hundreds of millions of viewers in India and abroad. Industry observers see the move as part of Google’s broader effort to position Gemini as a mainstream AI product, not just a developer or enterprise tool.
Gemini’s IPL sponsorship builds on a trend set last year when ChatGPT entered cricket advertising by becoming a sponsor of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). That two-year agreement was valued at approximately ₹16 crore. Since then, interest in women’s cricket has surged, particularly following India’s recent Women’s Cricket World Cup victory. The growing popularity and engagement levels of women’s matches have made them an attractive platform for brands seeking newer, fast-expanding audiences. Gemini has already been active in this space, having served as the global partner for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2025.
According to industry executives, AI-led brands are now competing directly with traditional advertisers for premium cricket sponsorship inventory. In 2024, design platform Canva reportedly bid ₹554 crore for the BCCI’s shirt sponsorship but lost out to Apollo Tyres, which secured the rights for the 2025–2028 cycle at ₹579 crore. The bidding reflected how technology and AI-first platforms are willing to deploy significant capital to gain visibility through cricket.
Estimates suggest that AI platforms could collectively spend more than ₹300 crore on sponsorships alone in the near term. India remains a priority market for these companies, given its rapidly expanding digital user base and appetite for new technology. Cricket, with its ability to reach audiences exceeding a billion across broadcast and streaming platforms, offers an unmatched channel for awareness, trust-building, and adoption at scale.
Gemini’s IPL deal underlines how AI brands are no longer operating on the fringes of consumer marketing but are now firmly embedded in India’s biggest sporting and cultural platforms.
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