Cricket News: Vivo pulls out of IPL as a title sponsor

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Vivo opts out of the Indian Premier League 2020 title sponsorship after disagreement with India’s cricket board over a discount on the sponsorship fee and in response to growing opposition to a Chinese brand backing the tournament following the Galwan stand-off. Vivo commands the second-highest share of India’s smartphone market, pays Rs 440 crore to the BCCI every year as the title sponsor. VIVO had paid Rs 2,199 crore for a five-year contract in 2018. Sources in BCCI also reveal that Vivo had been looking for a reduction in the sponsorship sum due to the Covid-19 disruption and decided to sit this one out as anti-China sentiment intensified over the past two days.