A consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group, along with The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone, signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 100 per cent stake in Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), including both its Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) teams.
The franchise is being acquired from United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo plc, in a deal that values RCB at $1.78 billion (around ₹16,600 crore), according to a Times of India report. The transaction remains subject to customary approvals from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the IPL Governing Council and other regulatory authorities.
New ownership structure post-IPL 2026
Following the completion of the deal after the 2026 IPL season, Aryaman Vikram Birla, director at the Aditya Birla Group, will take over as chairman of the franchise. Satyan Gajwani of The Times of India Group will serve as vice-chairman.
The acquisition marks a significant entry of large conglomerates and private capital into franchise cricket, underscoring the IPL’s evolution into a high-value global sports property.
‘Global sporting powerhouse’: Kumar Mangalam Birla
Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, said the IPL has transformed Indian cricket and created substantial economic value.
“Over the past two decades, the IPL has morphed into a global sporting powerhouse that has changed the face of Indian cricket, creating enormous value for India. RCB, as one of the most compelling franchises in modern sport, offers the Aditya Birla Group a distinctive platform to extend its legacy of institution-building into the arena of global sport. We are delighted to become custodians of this asset and committed to further building this extraordinary legacy,” he was quoted as saying by Times of India.
Gajwani said the group aims to strengthen RCB’s position as a global sports brand while retaining its strong regional identity.
“RCB is the reigning champion and the most popular brand in the IPL. As The Times of India Group, together with our partners, we will build RCB into a global sporting institution, while remaining rooted in Bengaluru and Karnataka and its incredible fanbase. We are committed to the people who built this championship-winning culture — the players, coaches, leadership team and the fans,” he said.
Competitive bidding and rising valuations
The sale process had attracted interest from several high-profile bidders, including Serum Institute of India’s Adar Poonawalla, Manipal Hospitals’ Ranjan Pai, private equity firms EQT, TPG and Temasek, as well as the Glazer family, which owns Manchester United.
The sharp rise in valuation reflects the growing commercial strength of IPL franchises. United Spirits had originally acquired the Bengaluru franchise in 2008 for $111.6 million (around ₹485 crore). The RCB management later paid ₹901 crore in 2023 to secure the WPL team.
From title drought to champion status
RCB’s on-field success in recent years has further strengthened its brand. The franchise won the WPL title in 2024 and secured its maiden IPL trophy in 2025 after years of near misses.
Over the years, the team has featured some of T20 cricket’s biggest names, including Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson, Anil Kumble, Glenn Maxwell, Yuvraj Singh and Faf du Plessis.
Kohli’s tenure as captain from 2013 played a pivotal role in elevating RCB’s popularity, coinciding with his rise as one of the most influential figures in global cricket.
Strong brand and fan following
Despite a prolonged title drought before 2025, RCB built one of the most loyal fanbases in the IPL, particularly in Karnataka and across digital platforms.
As of 2026, the franchise remains among the most followed teams in terms of social media reach and broadcast popularity. In 2025, Brand Finance ranked RCB as the second most valuable IPL brand after Mumbai Indians, while also placing it among the three strongest brands alongside Mumbai and Chennai.
The same year, global investment bank Houlihan Lokey identified RCB as the foremost brand in the IPL ecosystem.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login