Digicel, WICB sign sponsorship

MOBILE telephone giants Digicel signed on as the new US$ multi-million sponsors of the West Indies Cricket Board. Largest mobile operators in the Caribbean, takes over the coveted sponsorship of the West Indies Cricket Team from outgoing and market rivals Cable & Wireless. And yesterday, the deal was formally signed and toasted by Digicel chairman Dennis O’Brien at a ceremony in London attended by WICB president Teddy Griffiths, chief executive officer Roger Brathwaite and West Indies skipper Mr Brian Lara.

Digicel’s sponsorship of the West Indies Cricket Team marks the outstanding success of Digicel across the Caribbean. Since it was launched only three years ago, Digicel have surpassed the incumbent and ex-West Indies cricket sponsors Cable & Wireless, and now dominate the West Indies marketplace. This sponsorship will assist Digicel in the promotion of their mobile business across the Caribbean. Digicel have overtaken the incumbent Cable & Wireless PLC in every market that they have launched into within months, and have invested over US$575 million in mobile networks across the Caribbean. Digicel is now the largest GSM mobile operator in the Caribbean. Digicel will become the official sponsors of the West Indies cricketers and ODI (one day International) teams, event Sponsors for the home Test and ODI series, and the official mobile communications provider of the WICB.

The contract is for five years with an option to renew taking their support well beyond the ICC Cricket World Cup to be held in the Caribbean in 2007. With new programmes in place to improve the team’s current and future performance, Digicel’s investment surpasses former arrangements and is designed to help return Caribbean cricket to its past glory. It’s the first ever home and away sponsorship secured by the WICB and incorporates unprecedented incentives to raise players’ performances and places an additional US$1 million into the game’s development through Digicel’s sponsorship of select junior teams.

Digicel will also sponsor the Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 teams as part of the largest deal ever done with the West Indian cricket board. Speaking at the announcement yesterday, Griffith said: “Our partnership with Digicel represents a new era for the sponsorship of West Indies cricket. Digicel’s dynamic, innovative, forward-thinking attitude which has transformed the telecommunications market in the Caribbean in under three years will no doubt have the same impact on West Indies cricket. “Change is inevitable and we look forward to a long and rewarding partnership with Digicel.” And O’Brien said: “Digicel take enormous pride in becoming the official main sponsor of the West Indies Cricket team.”