PepsiCo Denies Report It Planned To Change BCCI Contract

PepsiCo has asserted that "it's not seeking to renegotiate the terms of its contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India for title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League," according to Bhushan & Sharma of the ECONOMIC TIMES. Pepsi was reported to "be seeking to pull out of the IPL because spot-fixing accusations have tainted the tournament and fewer teams could be playing next season." The company "categorically rejected this." A PepsiCo spokesperson said, "This is absolutely untrue and there is no talk of bringing down the title sponsorship fee. Issues raised by PepsiCo are based on our commitment to ethical conduct and the spirit of fair play in sports. ... We are committed to sufficiently invest behind our brands and there is no change in that commitment." Meanwhile, a senior BCCI official said that "there are a handful of contenders willing to take over the role if it's vacated" (ECONOMIC TIMES, 10/12).