MUMBAI: Universal Sportsbiz Pvt Ltd (USPL) has announced that WROGN and IMARA will be the official lifestyle partners for team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the Bangalore based franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for its eleventh edition.

WROGN fashion will add the right style to the RCB team with the squad sporting WROGN’s trendy and quirky designs off the field, and sporting the WROGN logo on their caps and helmets when in action on the field. At home ground, WROGN’s funky in-stadia branding will add colour and enhance the vibrant and lively atmosphere during the matches.

IMARA, a contemporary interpretation of the conventional with a refreshing take on ethnic designs, will be the first women’s fashion brand to be an official lifestyle partner for a team in this edition.

USPL founder Anjana Reddy says, “We are delighted that this season, two of our fashion brands, WROGN and IMARA are associating with team RCB, and we wish RCB all success as they #PLAYBOLD at T20 this season! This will give fans and our customers the opportunity to engage with the team and watch them in action!”

Commenting on the growth in female viewership in the recent past, she adds “There has been a global increase in female viewership for sports events. In India too, women and children comprise a significant portion of the viewership pie, especially in T20, with a high entertainment quotient. The T20 matches have seen a significant growth in female viewership year on year with last year’s edition having 45 per cent of its viewers as females. IMARA is the first women’s brand in the country to be an official lifestyle partner for a team in the IPL, and Jacqueline Fernandez’s energy and youthfulness combined with her definitive fashion sense and incredible connect with fans will definitely add to the collaboration.”

The two brands have comprehensive plans to engage and interact with RCB fans and customers at their outlets across the country. The association will be promoted across digital properties of RCB, WROGN and IMARA including the official websites and social media channels. Customers will also have the opportunity to get tickets to RCB matches on shopping either online or in stores.

Excited about the association, RCB chairman Amrit Thomas believes that RCB supporters will appreciate the opportunities to get tickets to RCB matches on shopping either online or in stores, and to engage and interact with the team.

Last season, the T20 matches had achieved a 24 per cent jump in television and digital viewership as compared to ningh edition. The average impressions per match stood at 21.18 million as against 17.11 million in 2016. This year, the player auction itself received a record viewership of 46.5 million on television that was six times more than last year, and digital viewership five times more. This season, the T20 matches are expected to see record viewership of about 30 million average viewership per match.