MUMBAI: VivaKi Exchange, a division of TLG India, has bagged the media mandate for Indian Badminton League (IBL) following a multi-agency pitch.

The $1-million IBL is a joint venture of Badminton Association of India (BAI) and Sporty Solutionz.

VivaKi will offer IBL not just traditional media but transcend into social and newer forms of digital media.

The account is estimated to be worth around Rs 25 crore in the inaugural year.

Hailing this association, BAI president and MP Akhilesh Das Gupta said, "The Indian Badminton League aims to bring long-term benefits for the players and will usher in a new era in the sport. We welcome VivaKi on board and hope this association will take badminton to new heights."

Sporty Solutionz CEO Ashish Chadha said, "The world‘s biggest badminton league demands the maturity, size and depth for national and international launch and VivaKi posses the requisite skill sets. We are extremely pleased with the vibrant approach and enthusiasm of the entire VivaKi team."

VivaKi Exchange CEO Mona Jain said, "Of late, sports category has seen a massive upward swing, largely due to plethora of sports channels and coupled with Indian accolades internationally. Badminton is undoubtedly the fastest-growing sport in the world and enjoys a massive following in India after Saina Nehwal‘s exploits in the 2012 London Olympics. I am sure IBL will be seen as a viable destination for large spending advertisers, who want to maximise their spends on media through sports this year."

"Working on sports leagues is the most challenging part. We are thrilled on this appointment and with our bandwidth we will build IBL as the most lucrative sports property in India," VivaKi Partnerships Unit COO Tarun Nigam added.

The inaugural edition of the IBL will be held from August 14-31. Almost all the top players of the world, including India‘s badminton players Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta, Parupalli Kashyap, Ashwini Ponnappa, and PV Sindhu have confirmed their participation in the League.