The Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen a major rise in value this year. A report by Houlihan Lokey shows that IPL’s enterprise value grew by 12.9%, reaching $18.5 billion. The big highlight was Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) becoming the highest-valued franchise at $269 million, after winning their first-ever IPL title in 2025.
RCB’s Historic Win Boosts Brand Value
Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended a 17-year wait by winning the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This victory not only gave RCB its first title but also helped it jump ahead of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to become the most valuable team in the league. RCB’s brand value rose from $227 million in 2024 to $269 million in 2025.
Mumbai Indians followed closely in second place with a value of $242 million, rising from fourth position last year. CSK fell to third place, with its value increasing only slightly to $235 million. Punjab Kings (PBKS) saw the highest year-on-year growth in value—up by nearly 40%, thanks to their strong performance.
IPL’s Growing Popularity and Sponsorship Deals
The IPL’s brand value rose to $3.9 billion, up by 13.8% from last year. The league is now seen as a top global sports event. Sponsorship earnings also increased sharply. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made ₹1,485 crore by selling four associate-sponsor slots—My11Circle, Angel One, RuPay, and CEAT. Meanwhile, the Tata Group renewed its title sponsorship deal for five more years, worth ₹2,500 crore.
Experts say IPL’s success is due to its mix of cricket, entertainment, and strong media presence, which helps it attract fans and investors worldwide. The league also benefits from new platforms like OTT and a diverse audience.
Record Viewership and Fan Engagement
The 2025 season saw record-breaking viewership. On JioHotstar, the opening weekend had 1,370 million views and the final match had over 67.8 crore views—even higher than the India-Pakistan match earlier this year. On Star Sports, 253 million unique viewers tuned in, pushing total watch time to nearly 50 billion minutes.
The final between RCB and PBKS was a big moment in IPL history as both teams were aiming for their first championship. The huge interest in the final showed how deeply fans are connected to the league.
