KFC Sponsor Australia’s Twenty20 Cricket Competition

Fried chicken restaurant chain KFC has signed an agreement with Cricket Australia to sponsor the country’s premier domestic Twenty20 competition the Big Bash League.

The sponsorship deal, valued at US$1-2m, includes naming rights of the competition. The league, which aims to bring cricket to a broader audience with “entertainment rather than pure sport”, will be known as the KFC T20 Big Bash League.

This agreement marks the sixth year of Australian cricket’s partnership with KFC, which plans to use the association in its advertising through agency Ogilvy.

Cricket Australia’s general manager of marketing Mike McKenna, added: “T20 is the fastest growing sport in the world and its popularity has forced other sports to try and copy its successful formula – short, sharp, high-energy entertainment – in an attempt to capture more fans.”

He added: “The team logos and uniforms are unlike anything Australian cricket has seen. They’re bright, bold and a departure from tradition, and fans will get a first glimpse when the KFC T20 Big Bash League is launched on 27 July.”