ICC seeks marketing, PR partner for Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 in India

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has invited proposals from marketing and public relations agencies to develop and execute an integrated campaign for the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027, scheduled to be held in India from February 14 to 28.

ICC Business Corporation (IBC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the ICC responsible for organising the event and exploiting its commercial rights globally, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) seeking an agency with experience in major international sporting events, a strong financial position and the resources to deliver a multi-channel campaign.

The tournament will feature six teams — Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka — competing in the T20 format across two venues: the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai and Vadodara International Cricket Stadium in Vadodara. Hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in partnership with the ICC, the competition will comprise 16 matches, culminating in the final on February 28.

The RFP, published on October 21, sets November 4 as the deadline for agencies to submit proposals. IBC plans to shortlist applicants by November 6, with virtual presentations, if required, scheduled for November 10. The selection and appointment of the successful applicant or applicants is scheduled for November 11, subject to changes at IBC’s discretion.

The agency will be responsible for developing the tournament’s strategic positioning, creative platform and integrated marketing and PR campaign, with the objective of building awareness, driving audience engagement and establishing the event as a distinct property in the ICC women’s cricket calendar.

Focus on audience acquisition and digital engagement

The proposed campaign is expected to draw on ICC audience data to identify priority audiences, growth opportunities and engagement strategies. The scope covers creative development, public relations, digital and social media, content, experiential marketing, influencer engagement and campaign performance measurement.

The ICC’s audience analysis identifies a significant opportunity to expand female fan acquisition and engagement. Its global digital audience remains male-skewed, with fans aged 25-34 forming the largest known age group, followed by those aged 35-44. The majority of fans whose ages are known are below 45.

The data also highlights the importance of younger audiences in the subcontinent. During the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, the 18-24 age group accounted for 45% of web users and 52% of app users across the subcontinent markets covered by the analysis. India led the web and app audiences, followed by Pakistan on the web and Nepal on the app.

The ICC’s analysis of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup found that the 18-24 age group remained the largest audience segment on its digital platforms. Women accounted for 15% of web users and 24% of app users during the tournament, higher than the corresponding shares recorded during the 2025 women’s cricket event.

These findings are expected to inform the agency’s approach to content, fan engagement and digital outreach. The RFP calls for audience-led storytelling featuring players, teams and the tournament, alongside recommendations involving creators, influencers, ambassadors, commercial partners and other talent.

The ICC has also identified player-led storytelling, utility-driven discovery and multilingual content as key engagement drivers across previous T20 events. Individual player narratives and breakthrough performances have tended to generate stronger search, video consumption and social engagement than generic tournament messaging. Fixtures, schedules, rankings and match-centre information remain important entry points to ICC-owned digital platforms.

The appointed agency will therefore be expected to develop platform-specific content and campaign assets, including adaptations for different digital formats, and recommend multilingual strategies to improve accessibility and expand reach across established and emerging cricket markets.

Three major campaign milestones

The RFP identifies three major activation opportunities ahead of and during the tournament.

The first is a launch event on December 2, 2026, to announce the match schedule and open general ticket sales. The agency will be expected to propose a high-impact concept featuring talent from participating teams, cricket legends and content creators to generate media coverage, social engagement and anticipation. The document notes that the event will be telecast live by JioStar.

The second is a Captains’ Carnival or media day scheduled for February 12 or 13, 2027. The activation will bring together the captains of all six participating teams to facilitate media access, develop tournament narratives and generate editorial and social media content ahead of the competition.

The third is a trophy tour across India, beginning January 15, 2027, approximately one month before the tournament. The agency will be required to recommend the itinerary, locations, creative concept and audience engagement opportunities, while coordinating public relations, media, digital, social, community and operational activities with IBC, the host board and other stakeholders.

The scope also includes developing a campaign rollout plan and communications calendar, producing creative assets, identifying non-traditional media opportunities and providing ongoing performance reporting and post-campaign evaluation.

ICC to evaluate experience, execution capabilities and cost

IBC will assess proposals on technical capabilities, financial terms, relevant experience, qualifications, organisational structure and the infrastructure proposed for delivering the campaign. Applicants must demonstrate experience in international sport, including cricket where applicable, and provide details of previous projects, staffing, timelines, risk management and any specialist partners they intend to engage.

Agencies must submit a detailed price quotation in US dollars, with a line-by-line breakdown of costs, management fees, taxes, inclusions and exclusions. They must also provide audited financial statements for the preceding three years.

The RFP does not make the lowest-priced proposal an automatic winner. IBC retains discretion to evaluate submissions on their overall merits, appoint more than one agency for different components of the work, negotiate with applicants or decline to make an appointment.

The commercial terms proposed by IBC also place significant responsibilities on the successful agency. Payments will be made in US dollars, inclusive of applicable taxes, subject to any legally required withholding. Approved invoices are payable within 30 days of receipt, while the final instalment will be released after post-event reconciliation of services delivered.

The selected agency will be required to maintain public and product liability insurance of at least $10 million and professional indemnity insurance of at least $5 million. It will also be required to assign intellectual property rights in materials created during the engagement to IBC and provide an uncapped indemnity against specified claims arising from its representations, acts or omissions.

IBC has reserved the right to modify the scope, timetable and selection process, negotiate with multiple applicants or appoint separate agencies for different services. The final engagement will be subject to the execution of formal agreements.

The inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy adds a new competition to the ICC women’s international cricket calendar. The marketing and PR brief places audience development, digital engagement, player-led storytelling and on-ground activations at the centre of efforts to establish the tournament and build anticipation ahead of its first edition.