Last Updated on 3 months ago by Charbel Coorey

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has landed a huge sponsorship deal with Gemini, the Google-owned Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform. According to reports, the agreement is said to be worth approximately INR 270 crore (approx. US$29.6 million) over three years.

Google-owned Gemini becomes IPL sponsor in deal worth around INR 270 crore

Gemini’s IPL sponsorship is part of a shift where AI platforms are becoming key players in the cricket landscape.

• Canva bid INR 554 crore for India’s shirt sponsorship until 2028. Apollo Tyres landed the deal at INR 579 crore.
• ChatGPT has a two-year, INR 16 crore deal as a sponsor of the Women’s Premier League.

As reported by Sportcal, a 2024 Deloitte survey showed that India ranked first in the Asia-Pacific region regarding generative AI technology adoption, especially among younger people. Hence, it is no surprise that these AI platforms are looking to reach the younger demographic via cricket tournaments.

The deal comes as a boost to the IPL following the ban on real-money gaming (RMG), including paid contests in fantasy cricket. Dream11, who were a major sponsor, pulled out following the introduction of the Online Gaming Bill in 2025.

“AI platforms are expected to play a role similar to fantasy sports in driving sports advertising interest this year,” said an industry executive, as quoted by Economic Times.

However, the impact of the RMG ban will be felt for a while to come according to another industry executive. In fact, the IPL’s brand value recently dropped from $12 billion to $9.6 billion with the ban on RMG a key factor.

“RMG ban will impact TV and digital advertising on sports more than on-ground sponsorships,” said the industry executive.