Hit for a Six: Qatar Airways Welcomes Cricket Giants - Royal Challengers Bangalore to its Diverse Sports Sponsorship Portfolio

Qatar Airways, the World’s Best Airline was unveiled as the Main Principal Partner of the 'Indian Premier League' team in a multi-year deal during a special ceremony at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium

Fans can now secure Ultimate RCB Fan Packages – inclusive of Qatar Airways return flights, premium hotel options, IPL tickets and exciting experiences via qatarairways.com/RCB

DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways announce their latest partnership with club cricket giants - the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), becoming the Indian Premier League (IPL) team's Official Front of Jersey Partner.

The Indian Premier 2023 season will take place between 31 March – 28 May, with the Bengaluru based cricket team playing their opening match on 2 April against the Mumbai Indians.   In the presence of 40,000 fans, RCB's home arena - the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, hosted a special "Unboxing Event" that featured cricket legends, celebrities, team officials and the likes of cricket superstars Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Glen Maxwell. Fans watched the RCB squad train in an entertaining atmosphere, after which the Qatar Airways cabin crew greeted the team during a special jersey unveiling ceremony.

The airline's leisure division - Qatar Airways Holidays, is exclusively launching all-inclusive travel packages, allowing cricket fans to attend an IPL match at the bespoke Qatar Airways hospitality lounge at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. In addition, the packages will enable fans to partake in exclusive experiences such as viewing practice sessions, signed memorabilia, player meet and greet, photo opportunity with Virat Kholi, and more. The Ultimate RCB Fan packages include return flights with Qatar Airways, premium hotel options, IPL tickets and exciting experiences. To secure packages, customers can visit the dedicated link, qatarairways.com/RCB.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said:  "We embark on a new journey with the addition of the Royal Challengers Bangalore to our extensive sports portfolio. The team has a passionate fanbase and a well-represented list of cricket legends that have played for the team. Cricket is a global game with a world-wide audience and is a powerful means of uniting people of different backgrounds. From start to end, our RCB packages will take the fan experience to the next level with a seamless journey to witness world-class cricket and entertainment.”

“Qatar Airways regards India as an important market where we operate non-stop flights from 13 Indian cities. Our operations from India also serve connections to 13 cities in North America and 35 cities in Europe through our hub - Hamad International Airport, which was awarded Skytrax World’s Best Airport award for the past two years. We are excited to partner with RCB over the next three years in what we trust will be a successful alliance."

Chairman of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chief Commercial Officer of Diageo India, Prathmesh Mishra, said: “We are thrilled at the potential of the RCB - Qatar Airways partnership. The synergies between both brands serve as a robust platform to build a very strong marketing association over the next three years and beyond. Qatar Airways has a strong demonstrative history of activating world class sports marketing partnerships and we hope the RCB partnership is just as successful. The partnership and its activation will be a benchmark in the Indian sports ecosystem and adds to the aspiration of RCB on its pathway to becoming a global cricketing powerhouse and a lifestyle brand.”

The “Unboxing Event” paved the way for several entertainment activities, featuring musical performances from various acts, including international artist - Jason Derulo, who performed live at the stadium. In addition, cricket legends A.B. de Villiers and Chris Gayle's jerseys were officially retired by the team as a mark of honour to induct them into the club's hall of fame. 

Qatar Airways has recently launched a new brand campaign in collaboration with world-renowned Indian actor, Deepika Padukone, who encapsulates the premium experience available to customers of Qatar Airways, transiting through the best airport in the Middle East - Hamad International Airport.

Qatar Airways as a brand is committed to supporting global sports, helping fans travel to their favourite events wherever they may be. The airline is a leading global football supporter, with partnerships including FIFA, Paris Saint-Germain, FC Bayern and Concacaf. Additionally, Qatar Airways is the Official Airline of Formula 1®, the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 Triathlon Series, United Rugby Championship (URC), Global Kitesports Association and multiple other disciplines including equestrianism, padel, squash and tennis.