'400 million viewers globally': How ILT20 is building T20 cricket’s next big media property

“They’re not just coming in for visibility anymore. They’re building campaigns, creating content on digital and really using the ILT20 as a platform to drive business outcomes.”

While the league is still in its growth phase, its foundations remain strong — driven by a global player pool, prime-time accessibility across markets, and a robust broadcast ecosystem.

“We were across all sports channels… and now we focused on evolving partnerships, basically from traditional sponsorships to a more integrated collaboration.”

Compelling business case for brands

ILT20’s core proposition lies in its ability to deliver a global audience within a highly efficient broadcast window — leveraging the UAE’s strategic time zone.

“Because of the UAE’s time zone we are able to tap into India, the UK, the Middle East and even parts of the US… in a single broadcast cycle,” said Chopra.

For brands, this creates a rare opportunity to access multiple key markets simultaneously.

From an investment standpoint, Chopra highlighted the advantage of entering during the league’s growth phase: “Partners that are coming in right now are at a point where they can actually build equity with the property rather than just buy inventory.”

The league’s structured ecosystem—spanning central partnerships, franchise opportunities, and digital integrations — also allows brands to engage at multiple levels.

Season 5 and beyond

Looking ahead to Season 5 in December, ILT20’s roadmap is clear — deepen engagement, expand globally, and build long-term value.

“We want to deepen fan engagement especially on digital. We want to expand our international footprint further and get in more broadcast partners.”

“We’d like to create more bespoke partner-led IPs within the league… which we can already see happening in the previous seasons.”

Ultimately, the focus is not just on scaling numbers but on building a sustainable, premium sports property.

“It’s not just about growing numbers, it’s also about building a sustainable premium sports property that delivers consistent value to all stakeholders,” he stated.