

Mint Explainer | Why are IPL valuations so divergent between the league and its teams?
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: Earlier in May, the Lakshmi Mittal family and vaccine-maker Adar Poonawalla successfully bid for Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals at a valuation of $1.65 billion, or over ₹15,600 crore. In March, the Birla family, along with Blackstone PE, Bolt Ventures and The Times of India Group, acquired rival IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a $1.78 billion valuation, or more than ₹16,000 crore.At these valuations, cricket teams are selling for 30x their last reported annual revenue from operations.
However, industry forecasts suggest the IPL is losing its sky-high value as the league is expected to fetch stagnant revenue for media rights. What explains the divergence in IPL’s value and that of its individual teams? Mint explains.The estimates aren’t rosy.
In a report in March, media consulting firm Media Partners Asia predicted that IPL media rights will fetch about $5.4 billion in the next bidding cycle (2028 to 2032), roughly the same as in the previous cycle. However, as per MPA, these rights must sell for at least $6.3 billion for the cricket league to break even.
If the MPA’s estimates hold true, this would be the first time that media rights won’t increase sharply since the IPL was launched.In October, valuation firm D&P Advisory estimated that the value of the IPL ‘ecosystem’ – all businesses directly associated with the IPL – fell for two consecutive years. As per D&P Advisory, the IPL’s value fell from a high of $11.2 billion in 2023 to $8.8 billion last year.The biggest reason is that fewer broadcasters and streaming platforms are ready to acquire IPL rights at all costs.
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