Australia’s KFC Big Bash League signed up commercial partner Warner Bros. as part of its strategy to lure in more family fans, according to a senior exec of the tournament. The fifth season of Australia’s 20-over cricket competition kicks off on Dec. 17. The tournament is looking to build on momentum which saw it hit average attendances of 23,500 last year, making it the second most watched league in Australia behind the Australian Football League. Critics of the shorter 20-over cricket believe its popularity is turning long-standing fans away from traditional Test cricket. But advocates of 20-over cricket believe it has revitalized cricket and other 20-over tournaments, like the Indian Premier League, have clearly attracted a new generation of fans to cricket.
THE YOUNGER DEMO: The BBL, which is looking to mimic the IPL’s success, has just signed two new commercial partners, Warner Bros. Pictures and ice-cream brand Zooper Dooper, underscoring its aim of luring in more family-focused fans. Signing up Warner Bros. is deemed a highly prized capture, particularly as the BBL is also looking to grow its brand in the U.S. BBL Head Anthony Everard said that it was Warner Bros. that approached the BBL about what he terms a “strategic partnership” rather than a traditional sponsorship. Everard believes the tie-up will help drive up ticket sales. He said, “It initially began with an approach from the licensing arm of Warner Bros. to run an on-field/apparel partnership around the Batman vs. Superman movie. BBL has an increasing focus on families, so we commenced discussions with their Theme Parks division and broadened the partnership.” Central to the tie-up is the chance for fans to win tickets to Warner Bros.’ Movie World theme park in Australia.
FILLING SPONSOR ROSTER: Along with its Warner Bros. deal, the BBL’s other commercial partners are long-standing naming rights partners KFC, Toyota, Weet-Bix and Zooper Dooper. Everard said, “For the first time in our short history, we have sold all League inventory. Our model has been established on a ‘less is more/uncluttered’ principle with the view to ensuring we deliver maximum value to our sponsors in a reasonably clean environment.” On top of the league sponsors, Perth Scorchers, Brisbane Heat and other BBL clubs can sign up to two individual sponsors. This “uncluttered” approach means that sponsors get access to more inventory, such as shirt branding and signage, than the AFL, Everard said. While cricket is massively popular in Australia and the Indian subcontinent, Everard believes there is an opportunity to grow the game in the U.S., where it is a marginal sport. He said, “Generally speaking, there is a strong following for cricket in the U.S. I understand that for the Cricket World Cup this year, the U.S. was the biggest online market outside of India.”
AIMING HIGH: Targets for this season’s BBL include increasing average attendances beyond 23,500 and broadening the competition’s fanbase. Everard: “While more traditional formats [Test cricket] remain popular, we appreciate that society is changing and it’s important that cricket has a product that services a new, younger audience. Research from last year indicated that 20 percent of attendees at BBL matches were attending their first ever game of elite cricket, so it’s a great sampling-trial mechanism to introduce new fans to the game.”
John Reynolds is a writer in London.
