Scapia Bets Big on IPL 2026 With RCB & Gujarat Titans Deals

Introduction

What if your credit card could get you into the team hotel on matchday? That's not a fantasy anymore. As IPL 2026 approaches, Scapia — India's travel-focused fintech platform — has locked in official partnerships with two of the league's most passionate fanbases: Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans. This isn't your standard jersey-patch deal. It's an access-led, experience-first strategy that signals a fundamental shift in how fintech brands are using cricket. And for Indian marketers watching closely, there's a lot to unpack here.

What Just Happened

Scapia has confirmed official partner status with both Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans for IPL 2026. The RCB partnership enters its second consecutive year, building on momentum from the 2025 season. The Gujarat Titans tie-up goes a step further — Scapia has been named the franchise's exclusive credit card partner, a deeper commercial commitment.

Both partnerships are anchored by a unified fan campaign titled 'The Game is Yours', centred around a digital competitive activity called Scapia Supershot — where fans compete in teams on a live leaderboard to win access-based rewards.

For RCB fans, the flagship offering is 'Scapia Royal Entourage' — giving selected cardholders matchday access to team hotels, travel alongside the team convoy, hospitality seating, match tickets, and merchandise. For Gujarat Titans fans, 'Day with the Titans' offers winners a trip to Ahmedabad, a stay at the team hotel alongside the squad, and behind-the-scenes access at Narendra Modi Stadium — one of the world's largest cricket venues.

What This Means for Your Brand

Scapia's dual IPL strategy is a textbook case of experience-led brand building — and it carries lessons well beyond fintech.

First, access is the new premium. In a market flooded with cashback offers and reward points, Scapia is competing on something far harder to replicate: proximity to the team. Standing next to a player in a hotel lobby creates a memory no discount coupon ever could. Brands in banking, insurance, and consumer goods should take note — experiential currency is appreciating fast.

Second, exclusivity drives acquisition. The tiered reward structure — from merchandise at entry level to full team-hotel access at the top — is a classic funnel play. Fans aspire upward, and each tier creates a reason to spend more, refer more, and engage more deeply with the Scapia ecosystem.

Third, franchise specificity matters. RCB and GT have distinctly different fanbases — one passionate and urban, the other emerging and aspirational. Scapia hasn't run a generic cricket campaign. It has tailored experiences to each team's identity. That's sophisticated brand thinking, not just media buying.

The contrarian view? Over-engineering fan experiences risks feeling transactional. If the access feels like a promotion rather than genuine fan love, the brand equity can actually erode. Authenticity is the tightrope here.

The Numbers Behind the News

IPL continues to be India's most commercially dense sporting property. Brand sponsorship spends around IPL franchises have grown consistently year-on-year, with fintech and financial services emerging as one of the fastest-growing advertiser categories in franchise cricket.

What makes Scapia's play particularly interesting is the intersection of travel and cricket. The platform's core product — a travel-focused credit card — aligns naturally with experiences that involve flights, hotels, and stadium visits. Every 'Day with the Titans' winner is also a potential long-term cardholder whose spending behaviour is travel-anchored — exactly the high-value customer Scapia wants.

Anil Goteti, Founder and CEO of Scapia, noted that the energy from last year's RCB campaign was significant enough to expand the model — this year's iteration aims to be "more fun and electric." That's not marketing speak; it's a brand that found a working formula and is doubling down.

The brands.in Perspective

Scapia is doing something most fintech brands struggle with — making a financial product feel like a lifestyle choice. Cricket in India isn't just sport; it's identity, community, and emotion rolled into one. By embedding itself into the most intimate layers of that experience — the team hotel, the convoy, the behind-the-scenes moment — Scapia is borrowing IPL's emotional equity in the most direct way possible. The real test will be retention: can these cardholders be converted into loyal, year-round users once the last ball of IPL 2026 is bowled? That's where the real game begins.

Key Takeaways for Marketers

• Scapia is official partner with both RCB and Gujarat Titans for IPL 2026
• GT partnership includes exclusive credit card partner status — a deeper commercial layer
• 'The Game is Yours' campaign runs across both franchises with shared mechanics
• Scapia Supershot uses competitive leaderboard dynamics to drive fan participation
• Access-led experiences are replacing visibility-led sponsorships as the new benchmark
• Travel fintech and cricket fandom are a natural fit — other categories should pay attention

FAQ

What is Scapia's role in IPL 2026? Scapia is an official partner for both Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. For Gujarat Titans, it also holds the title of exclusive credit card partner, making it a deeper commercial relationship than a standard franchise sponsorship.

What fan experiences is Scapia offering during IPL 2026? Scapia is offering 'Scapia Royal Entourage' for RCB fans — including team hotel access and convoy travel — and 'Day with the Titans' for GT fans, featuring a trip to Ahmedabad and behind-the-scenes stadium access at Narendra Modi Stadium.

What is Scapia Supershot? It is a digital fan engagement activity where participants compete in pairs on a live leaderboard. Rankings determine the rewards and experiences unlocked — ranging from merchandise to premium matchday access.

Let's Talk

Would you rather have a brand logo on a jersey — or put your customer inside the dressing room? Scapia has made its choice. What would your brand do with that kind of access? Share your thoughts below and follow brands.in for daily brand intelligence from India's most dynamic marketing landscape.