Ads featuring Mahendra Singh Dhoni are set to the flood TV screens during the cricket World Cup in the subcontinent next year. The Indian captain has signed a `24-crore deal for three years with liquor baron Vijay Mallya’s UB Group that takes him past fellow cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and into the league of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in terms of brand value.
“This is the biggest brand deal ever signed with a sportsman. The maximum before this was `10 crores for two years by Sachin Tendulkar,” said Pratik Sen of Mindscapes One, which is handling Dhoni’s business deals in partnership with Rhiti Sports.
Dhoni will be UB Group’s face, from Mallya’s liquor brand McDowells to Kingfisher and Formula One team Force India. The deal will come into effect from the World Cup hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangaldesh. “Lots of corporates are lining up for him with the World Cup in mind. He’ll sign another deal with a white goods company in seven to 10 days for around `24 crores-`25 crores,” said Sen.