KOCHI: Several Indian corporates and celebrities having interest in national sports leagues are in active discussions for franchisee acquisitions of Kerala Tourism’s inaugural Champions Boat League (CBL), country’s first-ever water-based sports league modelled on the Indian Premier League (IPL). The last date for bidding for the nine teams of CBL is Thursday. Interested parties can indicate their Expression of Interest(EOI) on franchisee@championsboatleague.in. Franchisee team ownerships will be finalised and announced at the auction at Grand Hyatt on July 29.
The franchisees are to benefit through TV sponsorships and digital rights. All the benefits from sponsorship, venue, ticket collection, TV and digital rights and merchandising will be shared with them. “The expected participation of national corporates and celebrities in the CBL bidding process will give a huge impetus to Kerala’s famous but largely scattered Snake Boat races by giving it a professional and commercial touch on the lines of the IPL,” Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said here on Wednesday. Significantly, it can be the tipping point in glamorising monsoon tourism in Kerala by adding an enchanting product for tourists during the lean June-October period. And this will make the state a 365-day destination, he pointed out. The high-stakes gala event will see nine teams vying for the title.