Byju’s, India’s leading Edtech company and the title sponsor of Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2020 season, recently announced the end of their strategic partnerships with some of the biggest names in sports business – Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), International Cricket Council (ICC) and Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). This news has sent shockwaves through the Indian sports community and beyond.
The partnership between Byju’s and BCCI began in 2017 with the launch of ‘BYJU’S Cricket Playbooks’ which enabled users to access learning material related to cricket. The association with ICC and FIFA was announced in 2018 and 2019 respectively. As part of these partnerships, Byju’s provided educational content related to cricket, football, hockey, volleyball, and other sports on their app. In addition to this, they also organized various initiatives such as the ‘Byju’s-U17 World Cup Quiz Challenge’ during the U17 Football World Cup in 2019.
It is believed that this move by Byju’s was due to changes in BCCI’s marketing policies which did not align with their own business objectives. It is also speculated that the increasing popularity of fantasy gaming could have been a factor behind this decision.
This decision by Byju’s has been met with disappointment from fans across India who had benefited from their associations with some of the biggest sporting bodies in the world. Despite this setback for Indian sports fans, it will be interesting to see what new collaborations emerge from both parties in the near future. In any case, it is safe to say that the partnership between Byju’s and BCCI, ICC, and FIFA has been a memorable one for all associated with it.
The end of this branding partnership marks the conclusion of a remarkable journey that has seen sports fans across India benefit from learning material related to cricket, football, hockey, and other sports on Byju’s app. The company will now focus on expanding its reach in other markets such as China and the Middle East while continuing to provide quality educational content to millions of users worldwide.
In conclusion, Byju’s ending their partnerships with BCCI, ICC, and FIFA leaves a void in the Indian sports community. It will be interesting to see if any new collaborations emerge in the future and how they will affect sports fans. It is safe to say that this partnership has been an integral part of Indian sports for the past few years and will be remembered fondly by many.
The termination of these associations marks an end to Byju’s multi-year partnerships with BCCI, ICC, and FIFA. The three organizations have been associated with Byju’s since 2018 when it signed a four-year partnership deal with BCCI to become its official partner for education. This was followed by a two-year agreement between Byju’s and ICC in 2019 as the Official Learning Partner for Men’s Cricket and another two-year deal with FIFA, which made them their Official Global Learning Partner in 2020.
The association between Byju’s and these three major sporting bodies has helped drive its presence globally through various marketing initiatives such as digital campaigns, virtual events, and fan engagement activities. These partnerships also opened up diverse learning opportunities for children from different age groups around the world.
It is widely believed that the ending of this association is due to Byju’s plan to invest more heavily in other verticals such as K12 education and foray into new international markets. While details on how this announcement will affect its current roster of sports stars are yet to be revealed, it certainly appears that this decision has been taken keeping long-term interests in mind.
Regardless of the reasons behind this decision, it is clear that Byju’s has been able to build a strong brand presence for itself on the global stage through associations with some of the biggest names in the sports business. It remains to be seen how its strategies will evolve over time as it looks to further expand its reach and influence across international markets.
