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GullySales

IPL advertising · Marketing

Ask what is still unsold in January, because by March the answer is nothing.

Our sports advertising page covers how any sponsorship is structured. This page is about the one tournament owners ask for by name, usually in March, when everything worth having has been committed since December.

In one paragraph

IPL advertising covers the things sold around the tournament: spots in the broadcast, inventory on the streaming feed, franchise and regional sponsorships, and on-ground signage. Every one belongs to a rights holder. GullySales finds out what is available at your budget, coordinates the booking, and says plainly where the money is better spent elsewhere.

Nothing here is bought from the league as a walk-in. Broadcast spots come from the television rights holder and streaming inventory from the digital one. Jersey and regional positions belong to the individual franchise, and boundary signage to whoever holds the ground rights that season.

So the first job is finding out what exists at your number. For most businesses on this site that is the streaming feed with the geography narrowed, or a regional package from a franchise, and not a spot in the live telecast.

The problem

Does this sound like your business?

What owners tell us on the first call, in their words.

  • We asked in March and were told it was all gone

    Sponsor positions and broadcast packages are negotiated months ahead, and multi-year deals roll over before anything reaches the open market. The question has to be asked in the off-season.

  • The agency quoted a package we could not read

    A proposal that bundles matches, formats and bonus digital inventory hides what you are really getting per match. Ask for the spot count, the match list and the format split as separate lines.

  • We were in the break with forty other advertisers

    Every break during the season is crowded and priced at the top of the advertising year. One appearance in that noise is not a campaign, and a small buy spread thin is the usual way money disappears here.

  • We put a team logo on our festival banner

    Team marks, the tournament name and player images are licensed property. Businesses receive notices for this every season, and the cost of that letter dwarfs the banner.

What we do

Everything that is included.

Each deliverable, and what it gets you. Nothing here is an extra.

  1. What is actually for sale this season

    We approach the rights holders and their agencies and come back with the real list: what is unsold, in which format, and from whom. Availability is different every year and last year's answer is worthless.

  2. Options sorted by budget, honestly

    Broadcast spots, streaming inventory, franchise associate rights, ground signage and match-night local media, priced side by side. Most shortlists end with the last two.

  3. Geography-limited digital buys

    The streaming feed can be bought against states and cities, which is the only route into the tournament that suits a business serving one region.

  4. The contract read properly

    Category exclusivity, where your logo may and may not be used, for how long after the season, and what happens if matches move or a team's schedule changes.

  5. Film and artwork to specification

    Durations, formats and clearance handled ahead of the season, because a commercial that is not cleared loses the dates and the dates do not come back.

  6. Match-night activity without the marks

    Screenings, offers and delivery-window campaigns built so they work around the fixtures while staying clear of anything licensed. A pizza offer on a Friday night needs no trophy on it.

  7. A response route of its own

    A campaign number, a code and a landing page for the season, so what arrives can be separated from everything else you run.

  8. Season reconciliation

    Spots and impressions delivered against the order, match by match, with shortfalls claimed while the season is still running.

How the result is measured

  • Spots and impressions delivered against the order, by match
  • Cost per ten seconds or per thousand against the first quote
  • Calls to the season campaign number
  • Searches for your brand name through the season
  • Enquiries by state where the digital buy was geography-limited

Recorded as a baseline before work starts, then reported every month against it.

Who it is for

This is written for you if these sound familiar.

  • Consumer brands and direct-to-consumer businesses selling across states, with stock and delivery to match
  • Regional companies exploring a franchise's associate or state-level sponsorship rather than a national one
  • Businesses selling to young men, where the audience genuinely matches rather than merely being large
  • Restaurants, retailers and dealers planning activity around match nights, with no claim on the tournament's marks
  • Owners who have been offered an IPL package by an agency and want it read before they sign

Not for

It is not the right fit if.

  • A budget of a few lakh rupees hoping for a spot in the live telecast, where the same money in regional media buys many times the presence
  • Any business within a few kilometres of its buyers, because a national tournament is the most expensive way to reach one neighbourhood
  • Owners who want team names, logos or the trophy in a shop offer without a licence, which is a question for your own lawyer and not a marketing idea

How it works

From your first message to the first monthly report.

No open-ended retainer. Each step has a point in time and something you receive.

  1. 01 · Day 1

    Free audit call

    45 minutes with whoever handles your enquiries: how they arrive, how fast they are answered, where they are lost.

  2. 02 · Within a few working days

    Written, scored report

    Six areas scored, fixes ranked by return and cost. If you want our help, the scope and fee come with it, in writing.

  3. 03 · Before work starts

    Baseline recorded

    Enquiries by source, reply time, conversion and cost per order, written down so every later month has an honest comparison.

  4. 04 · Month 1

    The first fix goes live

    Usually the cheapest one on the report: reply time, a follow-up sequence or the marketing-to-sales handover.

  5. 05 · Every month

    Report against the baseline

    What moved, what did not, and what changes next, in plain words.

  6. 06 · Month 3 to 6

    Renew on the numbers

    The term ends and you decide whether to continue from the results. No twelve-month lock.

How the IPL advertising work runs

  1. 1

    Start in the off-season

    We put the question to rights holders and franchise commercial teams months before the first match, when there is still something to sell and a reason to negotiate.

  2. 2

    Match the budget to a format

    Your number decides which conversation is worth having. We say early if the honest answer is that this tournament is not your buy this year.

  3. 3

    Get the terms in writing

    Match list, spot counts, formats, exclusivity and usage rights, all on paper before any advance moves.

  4. 4

    Produce and clear

    Films and creative made to each format's specification and sent for clearance well ahead of the opening week.

  5. 5

    Run and reconcile

    Delivery is checked against the order through the season rather than after it, because a shortfall found in June is a credit note nobody honours.

  6. 6

    Read what came back

    Campaign number, code redemptions and brand-name searches through the season, set against the weeks before it, in the monthly report.

Proof

What happened when owners fixed this.

Real clients, the work we did, and the result as it was recorded. Where no number was recorded, none is claimed.

All case studies
  • SB Engineering

    Situation
    Buyers searching for laser cutting and sheet metal work in Bengaluru were finding other suppliers first, because the company did not rank for the terms its own customers type.
    What we did
    • The site redesigned for mobile
    • Search work on the buyer's terms
    • Content that shows the work
    • Social channels managed
    Result
    • Website traffic rose 60% within six months, against a target of 50%.
    • High-quality leads rose 45%, with a rise in conversion rates alongside them.
    • Fifteen target keywords moved up the rankings, five of them into the top three positions.
    Read the case study
  • Hotel Felicity Inn

    Situation
    A traveller compares three hotels on a phone and books one. The website was not built for that.
    What we did
    • The site rebuilt around booking
    • Photography and one look
    • Search work for destination searches
    • Content a traveller reads
    Result
    • Online bookings increased 35%
    • Organic traffic increased 50% within six months
    • Positive reviews on Google and TripAdvisor increased 30%
    Read the case study
  • Chord Road Hospital

    Situation
    Patients who knew the hospital trusted it. Patients who searched for a department or a treatment in the area did not find it.
    What we did
    • Website rebuilt around patient needs
    • Search visibility
    • Social media on a schedule
    • Review management
    Result
    • Organic traffic increased 60% within six months
    • Online appointment bookings increased 40%
    • Social following grew 45%, and engagement on it rose 70%
    Read the case study

Also worked with

Curtain Label · Difesa Security Services · Hands On CSR · Implevista · Kambar Group · Kalessi · Kerur Pain Clinic · LL Trust · Lucky Deals · Natural Gases · NavaShakthi Souhardha · NewCom Logistics · Proton Technical Services · Shakthi Foundation · Shakthi Group · Urbanest · Insyde Studio · Venkateshwara Laser Tech · Vivara Studios

Why us

Why owners pick GullySales over an agency.

  • Marketing and sales, as one job

    Most agencies stop at the enquiry. We also fix what happens after it: the reply, the follow-up, the quote and the CRM.

  • The person on the first call does the work

    No account managers in between. You are never handed to someone you have not met.

  • A baseline before anything starts

    Your numbers are written down on day one, so every monthly report compares against something honest.

  • The fee in writing, split three ways

    Our time, your media spend and production on separate lines. You always see what goes to us.

  • No lock-in, no guarantees we cannot keep

    Three to six months at a time. We never promise a ranking or a lead count, because nobody controls those.

  • One office, and we say so

    Nagarbhavi, Bengaluru. We work across India by call and WhatsApp and travel when a session needs to be in person.

#257, 3rd floor, Sri Nanjundeshwara Complex, Nagarbhavi 8th Block, Outer Ring Road. How we work.

Engagement options

Ways to work with us.

Pick the size of commitment that fits. Every option starts with the free audit.

  1. Option 1

    The audit on its own

    A 45-minute call and a written, scored report. It says honestly whether you need outside help, and many fixes are ones your own team can make.

  2. Option 2

    One fix, scoped

    Start with the fix the audit ranks first, such as reply time or follow-up. The fee is in writing before anything starts.

  3. Option 3

    A three-to-six-month programme

    We run the work month by month, report against the baseline every month, and you renew on the numbers. No twelve-month lock.

  4. Option 4

    Guidance for your own team or agency

    We plan, brief and check the work of your in-house team or current agency, instead of replacing them.

The offer

Start with a free audit of how you sell.

It is useful on its own, whether or not you hire us.

What you receive

  • A 45-minute call with the person who will do the work
  • A written, scored report on the six places orders leak, within a few working days
  • Every fix ranked by what it returns and what it costs
  • The one thing to do first, and why
  • An honest line on whether you need outside help at all
  • If you do, the scope and the fee in writing

No invoice. No obligation. No sales script.

We call and WhatsApp on this number.

We use your details only to reply to this enquiry. See the privacy policy.

FAQ

Questions owners ask before they call.

Not here? More answers, or ask on WhatsApp.

How much does it cost to advertise during the IPL?
There is no single answer and no published rate we would repeat. A spot in the live telecast is priced at the top of the Indian advertising year, while a geography-limited buy on the streaming feed starts far lower. The only useful number is the one a rights holder quotes for this season.
Can a small business advertise in the IPL at all?
In the digital feed narrowed to your state or city, yes, and sometimes through a franchise's regional package. In the national broadcast, realistically no. A local business almost always gets more out of radio, society media and search during those same weeks.
Can we use team logos or the tournament name in our offers?
Not without a licence from whoever owns the mark. Team names, logos, the trophy and player images are all licensed property, and notices go out every season. Run your match-night offer without them, and check anything borderline with your own lawyer.
When should we start asking?
In the months after the previous season ends. Sponsor positions and broadcast packages are settled long before the schedule is announced, so an enquiry in March is competing for leftovers at the worst rate of the year.
Will a sponsorship bring us enquiries?
It brings recognition, which is a different thing. A logo on a boundary board cannot tell you who saw it, and association is not attribution. We put a number and a code on everything we can, and read brand searches and enquiries against the weeks before the season.
Do you have access to IPL inventory?
No. We hold no rights, no inventory and no relationship with the league, the broadcasters or the franchises beyond asking them what is for sale. We plan the campaign, find out what is available and coordinate the booking with the rights holder or their appointed agency.
How long is the contract?
Three to six months at a time. There is no twelve-month lock, and renewal is decided on the numbers against the baseline recorded at the start.
How soon will we see results?
Fixes to reply time, follow-up and your Google Business Profile usually show in weeks, because the enquiries already exist. Ads show in days once follow-up is ready. SEO and content take months. The audit tells you which applies to you.
Who will actually do the work?
The person you meet on the audit call. We work from one office in Nagarbhavi, Bengaluru, with no account managers in between.
What if we are not happy with the work?
Tell us and the plan changes. Every month is reported against the baseline, so a number that is not moving is visible to both sides. Terms run three to six months at a time, and the refund and cancellation policy sets out the rest.

Get a free audit of how you sell, and a scored report of where the work is.

Book a free audit