Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo, who had to back out as the title sponsor for the 2020 IPL after the Sino-India border stand-off in the aftermath of a violent clash in eastern Ladakh, will return as the sponsor of the IPL this season.

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The brand was replaced by Dream11 as the title sponsor ahead of last year's IPL tournament due to a public outcry, and Dream 11 had bagged the deal for Rs 222 crore, which was nearly half of what Vivo was paying annually for a five-year deal. 

Vivo won the IPL title sponsorship rights for five years from 2018 to 2022 for a reported sum of Rs 2190 crore.

The BCCI had suspended the contract with a one-line statement in August 2020, which read: "The BCCI and Vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd have decided to suspend their partnership for Indian Premier League in 2020."

However now, a BCCI source told PTI, "...The offer made by Dream11 and Unacademy was not up to Vivo's expectations this year, so they have decided to take it themselves and explore next year".

The title sponsorship forms a key part of the IPL's revenue as they share an agreement with the franchises. About 50% of the title sponsorship money goes to the eight franchises. 

It is understood that each franchise earns over INR 20 crore (US$ 2.7 million approx.) per year from the title sponsorship. Now with Vivo being back, Dream11 which had been an official partner of the IPL since 2018, will continue to be listed as one on the IPL website.