PepsiCo, title sponsor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has demanded additional rights and visibility for its brands in cricket stadiums from the BCCI.

The demand came after the BCCI announced that phase 1 of the IPL will be played in UAE, keeping in mind the impending Lok Sabha elections.

It is speculated that by doing so, PepsiCo intends to leverage its brand in UAE, where it dominates three-quarters of the cola market. What’s more, PepsiCo is favoured by many in the Middle-East as a local brand as opposed to Coca-Cola which is perceived as an American brand. In contrast, the beverage major is lagging behind Coca-Cola in the Indian market.

The demand has been put forth as a compensation for the possible decline in financial clout that may be caused by the tournament to shift overseas. This worry is shared by all sponsors for the IPL, in addition to the existing anxiety caused by spot fixing scandal last year.

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