Bidding begins for Sri Lanka Cricket sponsorship

Seven companies, including the current sponsor Dilmah Tea, have expressed formal interest in bidding for Sri Lankan team sponsorship for the next four years, according to Sri Lanka Cricket sources. The present contract expires after the end of the postponed New Zealand tour next month.

The seven interested companies include Dilmah Tea, KIA Motors, Hero Honda and LG Electronics. Winfield Associates have sourced two interested local companies and Taj Television, the current broadcasting rightsholder, has also sourced one undisclosed interested party.

The second stage of the bid process will now commence and bid documents are now being prepared by SJMS Associates, the financial auditors who are overseeing the process to ensure transparency. The deadline for formal bids is expected to be March 15. The winner will be announced shortly afterwards.

Dilmah Tea won the previous contract with a record offer of US$3.3million for three years. SLC sources claim the starting price for the new four-year term is going to be around US$5million. The scheduling of several India tours over the four-year period is an important attraction, including two full tours in 2005 and 2008 plus two additional tri-series in 2005 and 2006.

But the last time the rights were offered was also before the controversy over World Cup branding that nearly forced Dilmah's logo off the players' kits because of a product clash with Pepsi. A last-minute compromise was reached but potential sponsors will now be aware that the plum events, the World Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy, are not necessarily included in the package unless they are a major ICC sponsor.