Kolkata Knight Riders is the oldest team in the Indian Premier League history, which has played all of the seasons of the tournament. They are also the defending champions as the team enters the 2025 season, winning their third title in the previous season, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets in the final.
The team won its first IPL title in the 2012 season when they defeated Chennai Super Kings by 5 wickets and 2 balls remaining. Fortunately, the team didn’t have to wait for their second title win, as they won again in the 2014 season, as they defeated Kings XI Punjab by 3 wickets and 3 balls remaining.
They have an impressive record in the IPL finals, playing four finals and winning three of them. In the IPL 2021 season, Kolkata Knight Riders lost the finals against Chennai Super Kings by 27 runs. Also, they have made appearances in the playoffs 8 times.
Social Media
Being the IPL Champions three times and also giving some incredible moments in the tournament, Kolkata Knight Riders is also among the most popular IPL teams on social media.
With such a vast follower base on multiple social media platforms, Kolkata Knight Riders have also been among the few IPL teams that have more than 25 million followers combined across all platforms. This has also been possible with the help of popular cricketers like Gautam Gambhir, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane, and many more, who have been associated with the team. Also, their presence on social media and the active audience base has helped the team get multiple sponsorships.
Sponsorships: Key Partnerships
Sponsors definitely play an important role for a team to meet its financial expenses, and Kolkata Knight Riders is also able to generate revenue through the same. As the team plays in the biggest T20 League around the world and also has a presence on social media platforms, it is able to attract multiple companies for sponsorship purposes. These brands get themselves promoted in the biggest tournament as the team receives the necessary financial stability with its revenue. Here, we will be taking a look at the sponsors of Kolkata Knight Riders.
Title Sponsors: Dream11
Dream11 is the title sponsor for Kolkata Knight Riders in the current season of the Indian Premier League. It is a popular fantasy app for Indian users, where they will be able to build up their teams for sports matches and get real cash winnings. The logo of Dream11 is available at the centre of the team’s jersey (both practice and match jerseys).
Principal Partners
BKT, the famous Indian tyre company, is the team’s principal partner in the current IPL season. This brand has collaborated with several IPL teams this season, with Kolkata being one of them. The logo of the company will be visible at the back of the jersey, just above the jersey number. Several KKR players have also been featured in the company’s advertisements.
Associate Sponsors
Kolkata Knight Riders also has several associate sponsors, who also play an important role in the team meeting its financial expenses and creating a brand value for the same. Its associate sponsors for the current season are as follows:
- Lux Cozi: This Indian brand wear is based in Kolkata and became an associate sponsor for the team this season. Fans can see its logo on the front side of the team’s jersey;
- Jio: The famous telecom company in India became an associate sponsor for KKR along with several other IPL teams;
- Joy: It is a skincare products company, which also joined the list of associate sponsors of KKR;
- Acko: It is a popular insurance company that allows individuals to get insurance and claims easily, and it also has been an associate sponsor for the team;
- Royal Green: This is a liquor brand popular for its whiskeys and has also joined hands with KKR as an associate sponsor;
- JSW Paints: It is a famous paint company in India that is associated with several IPL teams and Kolkata Knight Riders;
- Manipal Hospitals: This is a hospital chain in India, which also joined hands with KKR as an associate sponsor.
Official Partners
Kolkata Knight Riders also has multiple official partners for the current season, with multiple companies being its official partners such as:
- Thums Up: It is a popular carbonated drinks manufacturer which became an official partner for the team;
- Bira 91 Merch Store: This company has been announced as the team’s official partner for merchandise;
- Philips: It is the lighting partner for Kolkata Knight Riders in the current season, with several KKR players being featured in its advertisements;
- Advance: This is an interior designing company that is popular all over India, as it also became a sponsor for several IPL teams including KKR;
- Veedol: This is an engine oil and lubricant manufacturer in India, which also joined the team’s official partners on the list;
- Big Ant Studios: It is a gaming company that has also been able to develop games for Kolkata Knight Riders, which is its official partner;
- Play R: This is another merchandising company, as it also became the official licensing partner for the team this season;
- Fancode Shop: It is another popular merchandise shop, where KKR fans will be able to buy the team’s jerseys and merch;
- Sampark: This FM channel has also been announced as the official media partner for Kolkata Knight Riders in the current IPL season;
- Fever 91: KKR fans will be able to tune themselves to this channel and learn about the team’s matches with its exclusive coverage.
Exclusive Ticketing Partner: BookMyShow
BookMyShow is the exclusive ticketing partner for Kolkata Knight Riders, allowing fans to book tickets for all the team’s home matches, which will be taking place at the Eden Gardens stadium. Fans who are looking forward to visiting the stadium for KKR’s home matches will be able to book tickets easily through the BookMyShow official website or application.
Business Operations and Financials
Besides the sponsorships, Kolkata Knight Riders is also able to generate revenue through its business operations. Although sponsors play an important role in helping the team generate a good amount of revenue, it may not be enough to meet its expenses. It is able to generate revenue with the help of sources like media rights, stadium ticket sales, merchandise sales, and many more. Let’s now take a look at the sources of income for the team in the Indian Premier League.
Media Rights
The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) sold out the broadcasting rights for the Indian Premier League from seasons 2023 to 2027 at a massive price of 48,390 crore INR. This was sold to two companies, Viacom18 and Star Sports Network, which have been the official broadcasting partners of the tournament. Every IPL season, the BCCI keeps approximately 40-50% of the broadcasting rights revenue while the remaining is distributed equally among all the IPL teams. In this way, Kolkata Knight Riders are also able to get revenue with the help of the tournament’s broadcasting rights.
Sponsorship Revenue
Kolkata Knight Riders is able to generate massive revenue with the help of its sponsorships every year. It was reported that in the 2023 season, the team received 14.8 million US dollars in terms of sponsorship revenue, which has helped it to meet the financial expenses. Collaborating with popular companies such as Jio, Big Ant Studios, Acko, Dream11, and many more, helps the team to receive a good amount from the sponsorship deals. Although the figures for the current season are unknown, it is expected that the team could receive growth of 10-15% in its sponsorship revenue.
Stadium Ticket Sales
The home matches of Kolkata Knight Riders are played at the iconic Eden Gardens stadium, which has a massive total of 68,000 capacity. During the team’s home ground games, the stadium is mostly jam-packed, which helps the team generate loads of revenue through stadium ticket sales. A specific percentage of this revenue is given to the team, while the other is contributed to the improvements of the stadium or other aspects.
Merchandise Sales
Kolkata Knight Riders are also able to generate some income with the help of merchandise sales. It has partnered with various companies like Play R, Fancode Shop, Bira 91 Merch Store, and a few more, allowing them to sell the team’s merchandise on their platforms, through which some portion of the sales is given to the team. During the IPL season, the sale of merchandise also increases with more supporters willing to show their support for the team.
Prize Money
Being a part of the IPL since its inaugural season has also helped it to grab a chunk of the tournament prize pool in various seasons. They have been champions in three seasons while being to the playoffs in 8 seasons. By winning the 2024 IPL season, the team was able to receive the prize money of 20 crore INR.
Recent Developments: Expansion to Other T20 Leagues
Kolkata Knight Riders have extended its presence across multiple T20 Leagues across the world. The team acquired the Caribbean Premier League team, Trinbago Knight Riders, and also has teams in International League T20, the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, along with a team in the Major League Cricket, with the Los Angeles Knight Riders. Along with the sponsorship revenue generated from the IPL, the team is also able to attract sponsors across these T20 Leagues.
Conclusion
Kolkata Knight Riders has been able to establish itself as one of the most dominant teams in IPL history, both in terms of performance and finances. The team is able to generate loads of revenue with the help of its business operations which includes stadium ticket sales, merchandise sales, media rights, and much more. Along with that, its sponsorship revenue has also been increasing with the team’s cooperation with various companies like Dream11, Jio, BKT, Acko, and various others.
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