IPL’s business value rockets to $20bn as India cricket league soars

What the report says

Al Jazeera, carrying a Reuters report published on July 29, 2026, said the Indian Premier League’s business value has climbed by more than 11 percent this year to $20.6bn, citing United States-based investment bank Houlihan Lokey. The estimate came from the bank’s “2026 IPL Brand Valuation Study,” which said the cricket league had recorded a second straight year of double-digit growth in overall business value.

The report described the IPL as the richest Twenty20 cricket competition in the world and noted that, since its 2008 launch, it has grown into a 10-team league that draws top international players. Its commercial strength is tied to several revenue streams, including broadcasting, sponsorship, merchandise and franchise investment.

Recent franchise deals were presented as evidence of investor demand. A group including Blackstone, Bolt Ventures, Aditya Birla Group and Times of India Group announced in March that it would buy Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a league-record $1.78bn. In May, the Mittal family and Adar Poonawalla said they would acquire Rajasthan Royals for $1.65bn. Houlihan Lokey director Harsh Talikoti said franchise values had reached fresh peaks and that private capital interest was increasing.

The study also put the IPL’s stand-alone brand value at $4.3bn, up 10.3 percent over the year. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, pictured celebrating the 2026 title in Ahmedabad, remained the most valuable franchise by brand value at $312m. The figures underline the IPL’s growing role as both a sports property and a major media-and-investment platform.