When Byju’s announced on Wednesday that it had hired Majid Yazdani, a former Facebook tech lead, as Vice President and Shawn Smith, a former Warner Media executive, as its first Worldwide Head of Comms for OSMO (part of Byju’s), it aligned with the edtech platform’s global ambitions.
However, the company’s announcement on Thursday that it would be the official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 left many people speechless for two reasons. Byju’s is being hailed as the first Indian brand to sponsor the FIFA World Cup, the world’s most prestigious sporting event. Second, this is the first time Byju’s has collaborated with a sport with a wider worldwide audience than cricket.
Byju’s will use its rights to the FIFA World Cup 2022 marks, emblem, and assets to undertake innovative promotions to interact with football fans all around the world as part of the FIFA collaboration.
In a statement, Byju’s Founder & CEO Byju Raveendran said, “It is a matter of pride for us to represent India on such a prominent global stage and support the alignment of education and sport.”
FIFA’s Chief Commercial Officer, Kay Madati said that they were thrilled to associate with a brand like Byju’s, which is also engaging communities and inspiring younger generation wherever they may be in the world.
Byju’s is no stranger to sporting partnerships, having been the jersey sponsor of the Indian national cricket team since 2019. It is valued at around $13 billion, making it the most valuable Indian start-up after Paytm.
“This (sponsoring FIFA) is a brilliant move by Byju’s to achieve global recognition, especially in Qatar and the Middle East, where a big portion of the Indian diaspora dwells,” says Brand Strategist Lloyd Mathias. Simultaneously, it would support FIFA in expanding its footprint in South Asian countries, where cricket remains the most popular sport.”
“This is a brilliant move for brand Byju’s,” says Harish Bijoor, founder of the eponymous brand consulting company. Byju is expanding her reach beyond the diaspora. “It goes far beyond football.”
According to the Pitch Madison Annual Report 2022, a big number of start-ups sponsored by venture capitalists have emerged as India’s top advertisers, with Byju’s ranking among the top three. High-pitch cricket events are being sponsored by a slew of new businesses.
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