MUMBAI: With the Airtel Champions League Twenty20 kicking off next week, the GMR-owned IPL franchisee Delhi Daredevils has roped in Idea as yet another sponsor.

Information available with Indiantelevision.com indicates that the deal is not just for Champions League, but also for the the third season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). It is pertinent to note here that Idea is also a team sponsor of the Mumbai Indians IPL franchise.

Meanwhile, Coca Cola that was with Delhi Daredevils in the second season of the IPL tourney, has extended its partnership with the franchisee for three more years.

As part of its partnership with the Daredevils, Idea will exhibit its logo on the back of the team shirt. It is estimated that the telecom company will spend a little more than Rs 80 million on the deal.

Coca Cola‘s logo, meanwhile, will be seen on the team‘s headgear.

A GMR official says that all sponsorship deals barring Coca Cola‘s will come up for renewal next year after the third season of the IPL gets over. "Coca Cola, though, did not want to wait and was keen to re-sign as we have delivered good value. The other sponsors including Hero Honda, Adidas, Wrigleys, Religare are very much with us and are also keen to re-sign. However, we want to wait for the third season to get over before doing any more deals," he adds.

Of course, since the IPL is coming back to India next year, sponsors will get more bang for their buck. The money spent depends on the position of the brand on a player‘s attire among other things.

Says an industry expert, "Wrigleys will spend around Rs 4 million while Hero Honda as the team sponsor will spend Rs 150 million a year."