The first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) held in 2008 not just heralded the T20 format of cricket in India in a big way, but also showcased itself as a promising new platform for both celebrity as well as corporate brands. Corporate entities found IPL as an exciting new arena for advertising their brands. In short, the IPL proved to be a confluence of some of India's most revered celebrity and corporate brands.

Among the various achievements that came BCCI's way in the year 2008, the IPL is the foremost to be mentioned. Apart from the one and a half months of cricketing extravaganza, the IPL saw the congregation of some of the world's best-known cricketing talents, celebrity franchise owners and ravishing cheerleaders.

IPL was also found to be an exciting new breeding ground for big brands (both corporate and celebrity). The involvement of star celebrity brands like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta (as franchise owners), Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar (as team endorsers), Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni (as players) along with corporate brands like Pepsi, Reliance, Adidas and Hero Honda made for an interesting case study on the successful marriage of not just sports with entertainment but also with sound business.

IPL was successful in introducing the T20 format in the country in a big way. The tournament generated so much frenzy across the country that many felt it would eventually overshadow the popularity surrounding one-day cricket. Business-wise, the IPL seemed to weave success stories for both the franchise owners as well as the sponsors.

Indian Premier League : The New Breeding Ground for Brands, Indian Premier League , IPL, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni , BCCI, IPL T20, Pepsi, Reliance, Adidas , Indian cricket board, England and Wales Cricket Board ,ECB.