Future success of IPL media rights will depend on how they are packaged and segmented: Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale
Premier League (IPL) when it was conceived by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Badale thinks the IPL has a bright future, but to grow the league, the BCCI and the franchises need to elevate the fan experience.
He added that the next media rights cycle will be very different from what we have seen thus far due to the rapid changes in the media consumption habits of consumers.
The founder of Emerging Media thinks that, like American sports leagues, the BCCI should segment and package the IPL media rights to maximise value.
Edited excerpts:
Are Rajasthan Royals promoters looking to dilute stakes to a PE equity giant?
Not really! We just get a lot of inbound interest. We are focused on on-field and strong financial performance; the rest will take care of itself.
We have not given any mandate to dilute stakes in the franchise. We have no plans to dilute Emerging Media's control of the franchise.
What level of interest has there been in the Rajasthan Royals among investors?
One of the things that have changed perhaps most dramatically in the last three or four years has been how attractive sport has become as an investment class for funds around the world, and we see that in America, Europe, and we're starting to see that in the IPL.
Obviously, the first fund that came into the IPL was Redbird Capital through their investment in Rajasthan Royals, and then we saw CVC acquire the Ahmedabad franchise. I don't think there is a major investment fund in the world that isn't looking at sports.
India is a hugely popular investment destination. You have the Indian macro story, and you have the sports macro story, and then the IPL is a fantastic fusion of the two.
Has investor interest in IPL grown after the
