LPL 2021: Softlogic Holdings to take ownership of Colombo franchise

The Lanka Premier League Colombo franchise has a new owner as Founder and Chairman of Softlogic Holdings PLC, Ashok Pathirage enters the second season of the premier T20 tournament of the Island Nation by acquiring the Colombo-based franchise in the tournament. The Colombo franchise will witness explosive players who will set the stage alight for their side in the upcoming LPL, which begins on 05 December 2021.

Softlogic Holdings PLC is one of Sri Lanka’s leading diversified conglomerates which operates a multi-brand, multi-channel offering services via its subsidiaries in key consumer-focused business sectors of Retail, Healthcare, Financial Services, ICT, Automobiles and Leisure.

Speaking about entering the LPL, Softlogic Holdings Chairman, Mr. Ashok Pathirage said, “We are absolutely ecstatic to enter the Lanka Premier League. The tournament is destined to become one of the most sought after T20 franchises in the world and we wanted to play a part in the competition’s growth and evolvement in the next few years. We can’t wait for the upcoming season to start. Hopefully, our team plays at its best and produces the best results.”

Welcoming the new owner, Mr Anil Mohan, Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant IPG, the official promoter of LPL, said, “It’s a huge step for LPL to welcome and announce Softlogic Holdings as the owner of the Colombo franchise. Softlogic Holdings are part of the Sri Lankan DNA and have a heritage that we are proud to be associated with. With the global reach of our tournament, having the right mix of international and local owners has always been a priority for LPL to grow Sri Lankan cricket at home and across the globe.” 

LPL first edition reached a cumulative audience of 557 million people

The inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) which was played in a bio-secure bubble at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota from November 26 till December 16, 2020, reached a cumulative audience of 557 million people through TV, digital-social space, and traditional media outlets.

Sponsors enjoyed a media evaluation (visibility) of $54.5m and title sponsor MY11CIRCLE enjoyed a ROI of 9.85x. Winner of the first edition of LPL Jaffna Stallions tops the valuation chart with $3.98m followed by Galle Gladiators ($3.82m), Dambulla Viikings (Now Dambulla Giants) ($3.54m) Colombo Kings ($3.44m) and Kandy Tuskers ($3.19m).

The LPL matches which were telecast live by Sky Sports, Sony Sports Network, Geo, PTV, and Willow TV in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UK, US, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand saw 155 million people tuning in to catch live action. On social media, it achieved a reach of 218 million and LPL found 133478 mentions as the league came alive with each and every match with some scintillating performances on the ground.