One of the most valuable sporting properties in Asia today is the cricket universe around the Indian Premier League. According to American investment bank Houlihan Lokey, the IPL’s brand and corporate entity valuations now add up to $16.4 billion.
The tournament, which was started in 2007, consists of franchises situated in important Indian cities, many of which have the support of powerful businessmen and Bollywood actors. Using the structure designed for television, which consists of 20 overs per innings, it has been incredibly popular with viewers and has led to rivalry between media companies that is changing the business.
According to Houlihan Lokey, the IPL’s stand-alone brand value has grown by 6.3% to $3.4 billion (INR 28,000 crores) in the last year. With the Tata Group securing title sponsorship for an additional five years, from 2024 to 2028, the cost per season has increased by 50% to over $300 million.
A T20 contest typically consists of 80–100 carefully arranged ad spots in between overs, innings breaks, timeouts, and after wickets fall. The NFL’s Super Bowl, where new TV advertising are released year, is how the bank analyzes the series. This year, new TV advertising for consumer electronics, banks, FMCG, FinTech, and fantasy apps were unveiled during the games.
The value of the various franchises is likewise rising. “The central pool’s income distribution and their own franchisee revenues from sponsorships, gate receipts, and merchandise sales now allow the eight legacy teams that have been a part of the IPL for a long time to reap substantial profits,” the bank claims.
The Chennai Super Kings are estimated to be worth $231 million, since they rank #1 in both the brand and company value rankings. With five championships and 12 postseason appearances in 15 seasons, it is the most reliable team in the league. Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by Shah Rukh Khan, are not far behind, having increased by 19% to $216 million.