Set to embark on only its 16th season, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has already established itself as one of the world’s most lucrative domestic sports competitions.
Indeed, this season will be the first of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) new broadcast deals with Disney Star, Viacom18 and Times Internet, which are paying a combined US$6.2 billion to broadcast the IPL until 2027. It means the ten-franchise T20 cricket competition now trails only the all-conquering National Football League (NFL) when it comes to media rights value per game.
The eyeballs and star names that the IPL attracts has also made the month-long competition a mecca for brands. Indian conglomerate Tata Group – which recently put its name to the newly launched Women’s Premier League (WPL) – is returning for its second season as title sponsor, while a new partnership was recently secured with the Saudi Tourism Authority. Speaking last year, BCCI secretary Jay Shah revealed that the IPL had exceeded the Rs 1,000 crore (US$121 million) mark for sponsorship revenue for the first time.
All that has contributed towards the average IPL franchise now being worth a little more than US$1 billion, according to Forbes, which says that value has increased by 24 per cent annually since 2009, when the average price was US$67 million.
Those franchises have increasingly been flexing their financial muscle over the past 12 months. Only this week it was confirmed that three more IPL teams have joined the Kolkata Knight Riders by making franchise investments in the new US-based Major League Cricket (MLC) competition, continuing a trend of IPL outfits owning sides in other competitions, including South Africa’s SA20, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the International League T20 in the UAE.
On the field, more good news for Indian cricket fans this season is that the IPL is returning to a home and away format after being forced to play its previous three campaigns at neutral venues – twice in the UAE and last year predominantly in the state of Maharashtra – because of the pandemic.
With reigning champions the Gujarat Titans and the Chennai Super Kings set to open the new season in Ahmedabad on 31st March, SportsPro presents all the commercial details you need to know about the world’s dominant cricket competition.
The teams
Note: All valuations are from Forbes. Sponsorship values and contract details have been officially disclosed or reported.
Chennai Super Kings
Owner: India Cements
Chief executive: Kasi Viswanathan
Valuation: US$1.15 billion
Debut season: 2008
Home venue: M A Chidambaram Stadium (40,000)
Main sponsor: TVS Eurogrip (‘upwards of’ US$12 million, signed 2021, expires 2024)
Principal partners: Astral Pipes, Gulf, Jio, Nippon Paint, SNJ Group, Vison11
Other partners: Coca-Cola, FanCraze, Garuda Aerospace, ICICI Bank, playR, Sunfeast Supermilk
Delhi Capitals
Owners: JSW Group, GMR Group
Chief executive: Dhiraj Malhotra
Valuation: US$1.035 billion
Debut season: 2008 (as Delhi Daredevils)
Home venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium (41,842)
Main sponsor: JSW Paints (signed 2021, expires 2023)
Principal sponsors: DP World, Greenpanel Industries
Associate sponsors: Galaxy Basmati Rice, GMR Group, JBL, Jio, Mahindra, Royal Stag, Zed Black
Official partners: Bira 91, Bisleri, BKT, Dream11, EUME, FanCode Shop, FanCraze, JioCinema, Paytm
Gujarat Titans
Owner: CVC Capital Partners
Chief operating officer: Arvinder Singh
Valuation: US$850 million
Debut season: 2022
Home venue: Narendra Modi Stadium (132,000)
Principal partner: Ather Energy (US$2.7 million a year, signed 2022, expires 2024)
Associate partners: BKT, Capri Loans, Jio, Astral Pipes, Simpolo Ceramics, Acko, Equitas, Timex, Rayzon Solar
Official partners: Bisleri, Boat, Dream 11, Havmor Ice Cream, JioCinema, Munch, Croma, Rario, Paytm
Kolkata Knight Riders
Owners: Shah Rukh Khan
Chief executive: Venky Mysore
Valuation: US$1.1 billion
Debut season: 2008
Home venue: Eden Gardens (68,000)
Principal partners: MyFab11 (signed 2023) and BKT (extension signed 2023)
Associate sponsors: Acko, Jio, Joy, Lux Cozi, Money9, Royal Green, SRMB
Official partners: Boat, HRX, Mio Amore, Thums Up, Bira 91, EUME, FanCode Shop, The Souled Store, Woodlands Hospital
Lucknow Super Giants
Owner: RPSG Group
Chief executive: Vinod Bisht
Valuation: US$1.075 billion
Debut season: 2022
Home venue: Ekana Cricket Stadium (50,000)
Title sponsor: My11Circle (US$2.8 million a year, signed 2022, expires 2024)
Associate sponsors: Greenply Industries, Reliance Jio
Other partners: TooYumm!, FanCraze, Royal Challenge, Kingfisher, Campa, Prayag, Vida, Bond Tite Adhesives, Somany
Mumbai Indians
Owner: Reliance Industries
Chief executive: Nita Ambani
Valuation: US$1.3 billion
Debut season: 2008
Home venue: Wankhede Stadium (33,108)
Principal partners: Slice (US$12 million in total, three-year deal signed 2022) and DHL (signed 2021, multi-year deal)
Associate partners: IDFC First Bank, Jio, Astral Pipes
Other partners: Acko, Amul Organic, Bella Vita Luxury, Bira 91, Bisleri, BKT, Chupps, Dream11, FanCode, Garnier Men, Mahindra, MaxLife Insurance, Performax Activewear, Plaeto, playR, Reliance Digital, TeamViewer, Usha
Punjab Kings
Owners: Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, PZNZ Media
Chief executive: Satish Menon
Valuation: US$925 million
Debut season: 2008
Home venue: Inderjit Singh Bindra Stadium (27,000)
Main sponsor: EbixCash (signed 2019)
Principal sponsors: All Seasons, BKT, Dream11, Hindware, Jio, Lotus Herbals
Other partners: Munch, Rario, playR, T10 Sports, Paytm
That was a SAMSATIONAL race! 🥵
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) December 23, 2022
Sam Curran, sold at 18.5cr, is now a 🦁! 🙌#TATAIPLAuction
Rajasthan Royals
Owner: Emerging Media Limited
Chief executive: Jake Lush McCrum
Valuation: US$1 billion
Debut season: 2008
Home venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium (30,000)
Main sponsor: Luminous Power Technologies (signed 2023)
Principal sponsors: BKT, Dollar, Jio
Other partners: McDowell’s, UBON
Title sponsor: ✅#IPL2023 jersey: 🔜⏳#RoyalsFamily | @myluminous pic.twitter.com/jvpITPvmK9
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) March 17, 2023
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Owner: United Breweries
Chairman: Prathmesh Mishra
Valuation: US$1.025 billion
Debut season: 2008
Home venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium (40,000)
Main sponsor: Qatar Airways (US$9.1 million in total, signed 2023, multi-year deal)
Principal partners: KEI Industries, Happilo, Jio
Associate partners: Boat, Equitas, Hindware Italian Collection, Mahindra, Nippon Paint, Puma
Official partners: Birla Estates, BKT, BuyStars, Hombale Films, IB Cricket, Jar, Kingfisher, Kotak, Munch, Nxt Wave, Open, Redcliffe Labs, Restolex, Sosyo, StockGro
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Owner: Sun Group
Chief executive: Kaviya Maran
Valuation: US$970 million
Debut season: 2013
Home venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium (55,000)
Main sponsor: FanCraze (signed 2023)
Principal sponsors: BKT, Dream11, EbixCash Kühl Stylish Fans, Jio, TCL
Other partners: BachPan, NBL, Wrogn, Campa, Royal Challenge, Dazller Eterna, BigAnt Studios, Bira 91, FanCode Shop, Mera Hoardings, Apollo Hospitals
