Dream11 to Discontinue as Team India’s Sponsor After Government Ban, Toyota Frontrunners

Online gaming platforms Dream11 and My11Circle collectively contributed about INR 1000 crores to the BCCI through multiple sponsorship deals.

Dream11 to Discontinue as Team India’s Sponsor After Government Ban, Toyota Frontrunners

Dream11 have no longer sponsor the Indian cricket team, following end of contract. (via Rediff)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Dream 11 and the Indian cricket team have parted ways, with the BCCI officially announcing that their three-year partnership has come to an end. The board is now looking for new sponsors for the team ahead of the upcoming 2025 Asia Cup, with Japanese automobile giants Toyota being frontrunners.

The Indian parliament passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, set to provide a framework for licensing and regulating online gaming in India. The act seeks to promote online gaming as a new industry, while also bringing stricter regulations in place, for consumer protection and safeguards from illegal betting, while also setting up the National Online Gaming Commission (NOGC).

The legislation has hit two of India’s biggest online gaming platforms, Dream11 and My11Circle the hardest, forcing them to halt all real money contests, which in fact account for over 90 percent of their revenue.

Dream11, which has a reported revenue exceeding INR 6,000 crores, has also taken a hit on its sporting partnerships, including its role as the lead jersey sponsor of the Indian cricket team, which the company had acquired for a contract worth INR 358 crores in 2023.

Although the original contract was to continue until March 2026, the BCCI announced that its partnership with Dream 11 has been prematurely terminated. The primary cause for the end of Dream11’s tenure is a specific clause in the act, specifying that all forms of financing and advertising online games will amount to criminal offence, and that the offenders might face hefty fines and up to five years of imprisonment. 

Despite Dream11’s early exit, the company is not obliged to pay any form of penalties or dues to the BCCI. Not just that, but the fantasy gaming platform is also under contract with several cricketers and IPL franchises, as well as leagues outside India, including the Caribbean Premier League and the NZ Super Smash, and it remains to be seen whether Dream 11 ends its association with them as well.

With Dream 11’s contract now terminated, the Indian team will be without a jersey sponsor for the 2025 Asia Cup, until the BCCI floats new tenders. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the development, highlighting the board’s intent in not partnering with any such ‘organisations’ in the future.

A source close to the BCCI also shared that the Dream 11 representatives had personally informed CEO Hemang Amin that the company would not be able to continue, citing new financial restraints and ad regulations. 

In addition, several reports indicate that Toyota Motors and a Fin-Tech startup have shown interest in becoming India’s new official sponsor. It also remains to see what lies ahead the other big online gaming platform, My11Circle, which pays INR 125 crores to the BCCI annually, for being the IPL’s fantasy partner.

Dream11’s Partnership Ends Abruptly, Continuing a Troubled Pattern for Indian Cricket Team Partners

It has been a tough time for companies that have sponsored the Indian cricket team, with Dream 11 being the latest example. Dream 11’s exit has sparked questions over why so many of the BCCI’s partners often face severe financial or legal trouble, after agreeing on a contract with the board. 

India sponsors Sahara, Dream11, Byju's
Sahara Group, Dream11 and Byju’s are among the sponsors that abruptly ended their association with the Indian cricket team. (via ESPN Cricinfo)

The trend began with Sahara Group, which was the Indian team’s primary sponsor from 2001 to 2013, but left after the investigations opened into its financial irregularities.

Star India followed in 2014, but exited two years later in order to focus on broadcasting before being ultimately acquired by Disney. Oppo had secured a deal worth INR 1,079 crores, but departed in 2019 after being fined for tax evasion. 

Before Dream11, ed-tech startup Byju’s, one of India’s largest companies at the time, succeeded Oppo to become the sponsor of the Indian team in 2019, and remained under contract until 2023. The Bengaluru-based company’s valuation reportedly plummeted from $22 billion to zero, leading to its exit amid significant financial troubles and government scrutiny.

Dream 11’s recent exit adds to this list. Furthermore, it also shows that despite a contract with the BCCI seems to be a lucrative advertisement opportunity for companies around the world, every sponsor since 2001 has suffered several setbacks, sparking fear.

Also Read: Rinku Singh Sends Strong Statement in UP T20 League Following Favoritism Talks in Asia Cup Selection