Cricket India Indian IPL LaLiga Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma Becomes LaLiga’s First Brand Ambassador In India

December 13, 2019

LaLiga has made significant strides in terms of its presence in India by announcing two high-profile agreements today. The first is the appointment of international cricket ace Rohit Sharma as the first LaLiga brand ambassador in India, and the second is that LaLiga now has its first regional sponsor in the country, Dream11, the largest sports gaming platform in India.

With these two agreements, LaLiga takes a step forward with its presence in India and its bid to get closer to the local fans. With an office in New Delhi since 2017, LaLiga has its own staff based in the Indian capital working on nurturing the sport and building the LaLiga brand in the country. During these two years, LaLiga has worked on numerous ambitious projects in a variety of areas, such as the successful grassroots football development programme, LaLiga Football Schools; a pioneering broadcast partnership with Facebook to provide over 300 matches for free to fans on the Indian subcontinent; bringing one of LaLiga’s clubs, Girona FC, to India for the first time, and many more initiatives. The association with Rohit Sharma is yet another step in its bid to further the work on the growth which football is currently enjoying in India.

India is seen as a burgeoning football market with the Indian Super League growing in recent years and LaLiga, with their continued global expansion, are looking at growing within this market and establishing both the league and football as a key sport in India. By using key influencers such as Rohit Sharma, one of the world’s finest batsmen currently and a superstar with tremendous profile in India, it will be key to help the constant expansion and profile of LaLiga across the country.

Rohit, LaLiga’s new brand ambassador in India, said, “Football in India is undergoing growth and it’s heartening to see that it is no longer considered a sleeping giant in the country in this regard. Over the course of the past five years, we have witnessed significant growth in interest in football in India. Credit must be given to everyone who has contributed to this growth, including the fans.

“I am truly delighted to be associated with LaLiga. It’s encouraging to see the Spanish giant making inroads into the Indian football ecosystem through its grassroots programme and other projects. Personally, I see this as an interesting journey for me into the beautiful game together with LaLiga. I eagerly look forward to connecting with football fans in the country.”

Jose Antonio Cachaza (Managing Director, LaLiga India) and Rohit Sharma, LaLiga’s first ever brand ambassador in India

Thanks to the agreement with LaLiga, Dream11 – which has over 70 million users and offers football, cricket and basketball games, as well as other sports – will have an official LaLiga competition and football fans in India will be able to enjoy the clubs and stars of the Spanish league. Through this partnership, LaLiga furthers its commitment to digital innovation, and will now be able to reach a young, dynamic audience eager to enjoy the thrills and the passion of the best football in the world through Dream11’s fantasy game. The agreement, which extends to five seasons, also involves collaboration at other levels, such as on social media and the presence of the brand at LaLiga events in India. It is the second Indian brand to join forces with LaLiga, with BKT already a global sponsor of the competition.

Rohit, one of the world’s premier batsmen in the modern era and a self-confessed football fanatic, was unveiled before the local media at an event which took place in Mumbai, which also featured the presence of Jose Antonio Cachaza, LaLiga’s director for India. He is the first sportsman to hold this position, representing another step forward in LaLiga’s strategy in India and in its bid to get closer to local fans. The acclaimed sportsman, who will be one of the faces of LaLiga in India, perfectly represents the values that the Spanish competition stands for, including excellence, teamwork, authenticity, respect, commitment and passion. With his motivational and inspirational stature in the country as an individual and athlete, Rohit will help catalyse the growth of football and LaLiga in India.

Jose Antonio Cachaza, LaLiga’s director for India said, “India is a very important market for LaLiga from a global perspective. Since we came here in 2017, we’ve gained a better understanding of the pulse of the nation. Over the past two years, and after many ground-breaking initiatives, it is clear that India has a huge appetite for football. Rohit Sharma is the perfect example of this; as well as being one of the most renowned faces in Indian cricket, he is also an ardent football and LaLiga fan. In his persona on and off the field, Rohit embodies LaLiga’s values and principles. We are delighted to have him as LaLiga’s first ever non-footballing brand ambassador and as our representative in India.

 

Cricket India Indian IPL LaLiga Rohit Sharma