Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) consolidates its status as the most valuable team indian premier league (IPL), becoming the first cricket team in history to have its brand value cross the US$300 million mark.According to global investment bank Houlihan Lokey’s 2026 IPL Brand Valuation Study, RCB retains the number one spot with a brand valuation of $312 million (approximately Rs. 2,600 crore), a 16% increase from $269 million in 2025. The report highlights that RCB’s steep valuation curve reflects the compounding impact of sustained on-field performance, industry-leading fan engagement and a digitally mature business ecosystem.This valuation benchmark follows a landmark ownership deal earlier this year in which RCB was acquired by a consortium of Blackstone, Bolt Ventures, Aditya Birla Group and Times of India Group at a valuation of $1.78 billion – the most expensive single franchise deal in IPL history.
“The intensity and connection of RCB’s fan base is unparalleled”
Satyan Gajwani, co-owner of Royal Challengers Bangalore and chairman of Times Internet, highlighted the reasons behind the mega acquisition and pointed to the unparalleled strength of the franchise community.“We have been actively involved in the process with RCB and Rajasthan Royals, both of whom are huge assets. However, the strength and connectedness of RCB’s fan base across the league is unmatched, which makes this a special opportunity,” said Satyan Gajwani.Highlighting the long-term prospects of Indian cricket as a global asset class, Gajwani added: “Overall, we strongly believe in the growth potential of cricket as a global sport and the exposure both at the media level and at the intellectual property level is in line with this thesis. The IPL has attracted the attention of the NFL with a fraction of its monetization, and as India’s per capita income grows and connected TV penetration increases, we expect monetization to match the attention. We are extremely grateful to be working with such great partners in RCB and we all believe in the opportunity for IPL to continue to grow and for RCB to create a truly global brand and fan asset. “
IPL enterprise scale reaches US$20.6 billion
RCB’s rise comes at a time of record growth across the league. IPL’s overall enterprise value increased by 11.4% year-on-year to US$20.6 billion, while its independent brand value increased by 10.3% to US$4.3 billion.Behind RCB in the brand value rankings are second-placed Mumbai Indians ($264 million; +7.9%) and third-placed Chennai Super Kings ($244 million; +3.8%).The report attributes the league’s overall valuation surge to growing institutional investor confidence, rapid adoption of connected television (CTV) and strong revenue visibility as global capital increasingly views IPL franchises as long-term sports and entertainment behemoths.
