Venky Mysore chronicles Kolkata's growth and IPL journey in interview with R Ashwin: WATCH

The Kolkata IPL team owners recently extended their reach by announcing that they will be investing in an American-based upcoming Major League Cricket T20 tournament. Apart from already owning an IPL franchise, the Red Chillies Entertainment Group also owns a franchise in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with Trinbago Knight Riders. Their latest initiative to promote cricket in the US highlights the growth of Kolkata as an IPL franchise as well as the franchise owners in business terms.

Kolkata team owners confirm association with USA’s Major League Cricket

Delighted to announce the new partnership between Knight Riders’ & American Cricket Enterprises in Major League Cricket in the US! Looking forward to showcasing T20 cricket in America! @USACricket @KKRiders @TKRiders pic.twitter.com/6vsGp8yWWq

— Venky Mysore (@VenkyMysore)

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Kolkata CEO Venky Mysore chronicles team’s growth in IPL and his journey with franchise

On Wednesday, December 9, Kolkata IPL team CEO Venky Mysore interacted with veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (R Ashwin) on the latter’s YouTube channel. During their interaction, Mysore chronicled the growth of Kolkata as a popular IPL team and how they became the first “profitable” franchise of the tournament.

When R Ashwin highlighted about Kolkata being one of the earliest IPL sides to get into merchandising, Venky Mysore said that their primary plans were to build their franchise on two pillars, i.e. brand and fan-base. According to Mysore, brand and fan-base are always the “drivers of the revenue”, which is what the Kolkata IPL team owners also kept in mind while getting sponsors for their side.

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Venky Mysore also revealed that they perform a “return-on-investment” model for all brands. Explaining the model, he said that they show their potential sponsors the media value and coverage they will be getting and they explain to them all economic benefits prior to their association.

The Kolkata CEO further stated that the team owners have always prioritised on emphasising on popularising the brand Kolkata IPL as a whole, instead of just focusing on a few individual players. He explained the reason for the same by saying that their target was to hook fans for their franchise because a fan-favourite or a popular player will eventually retire one day. Here is a look at the entire conversation between R Ashwin and Venky Mysore as the franchise gears themselves for IPL 2021 season next year.

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Image source: IPLT20.COM