S(up)porting stars

Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla - Franchise Owners

Team: Kolkata Knight Riders

Owned by Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment in partnership with Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta, KKR was bought for ` 357 crore, as per the estimates. In 2012, the franchise emerged as winners of IPL Season 5.

Tie-ups: Last year, the team had 22 sponsors including Nokia, Reebok, etc. The team invested in merchandise that includes T-shirts, wristbands, caps, shoes, etc.

Brand value: As per 2012 performance, the team is pegged at a brand value of USD $ 39 million, according to Brand Finance and stands fourth in the rankings of most valuable IPL brands.

Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty Kundra - Franchise Owners

Team: Rajasthan Royals

With an investment of approximately $15.4 million, Raj Kundra and Shilpa Kundra own 11.7 per cent stake of Rajasthan Royals.

Tie-ups: This year, the team has partnered with DSC Jaipur Literature Festival where a friendly cricket match will be played between the authors, Rajasthan Royals management and some local players.

Brand value: As per their 2012 performance, the team is pegged at a brand value of USD $ 27 million, according to Brand Finance.

Preity Zinta - Franchise Owner

Team: Kings XI Punjab

Headed by chairperson Preity Zinta along with Ness Wadia, Apeejay Surrendra Group and Dabur, the owners paid $ 76 million to acquire the franchise.

Tie-ups: Their sponsors for IPL 2012 included Videocon d2h, Lux Cozi, ACC, etc. The team's slate of merchandise includes T-shirts, caps, scarves, flags, trumpets, etc.

Brand value:As per their 2012 performance, the brand value of Kings XI Punjab stands at USD $ 29 million, according to Brand Finance.

Celeb Spotting at sport leagues

Sanjay Dutt

Sanjay Dutt is the co-founder with Raj Kundra of Super Fight League, an India based mixed martial arts promotion. With an intent to give a platform to the Indian mixed martial artists along with bringing in talented fighters from across the world, SFL conducted Friday Fight Nights and a reality show, SFL Challengers.

... contd.

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