The IPL continues to cement its status as one of the most lucrative sporting properties in the world and is now the second most valuable sports league in the world on a per-match basis.
According to Deloitte, the IPL ranks second behind only the NFL.
The IPL made headlines recently after two blockbuster franchise deals valued teams at well over $1.5 billion each.
The Rajasthan Royals was sold to a consortium led by steel magnate Laxmi Mittal and vaccine billionaire Adar Poonawalla in a deal valuing the franchise at $1.65 billion.
A rival consortium led by Kal Somani and backed by Walmart heir Rob Walton was also in the running before missing out on the purchase.
“We were all motivated by the opportunity to help take the IPL to new international heights,” the Somani-led group reportedly told ESPN.
The Royals sale followed closely on the heels of a $1.8 billion acquisition of Royal Challengers Bengaluru by a group including Blackstone and prominent American sports investor David Blitzer.
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Launched in 2008, the IPL has rapidly evolved into one of the most valuable sports leagues globally thanks to booming broadcast deals, massive fan engagement and growing international appeal.
According to a recent CNBC report, the valuation of the IPL is estimated at $18.5 billion, compared to the NFL’s $227 billion and the NBA’s $165 billion in 2025.
However, the IPL only has 74 matches per season compared to the NFL teams which play 272 games and the NBA where the 30 teams play 82 games each per season.
“IPL has become highly attractive to investors because it combines strong capital appreciation potential with stable, recurring cash flows,” Deloitte Asia Pacific sports business leader James Walton told CNBC.
Experts believe the league’s growth curve is still only beginning.
“In my opinion, investors are buying into what US assets looked like 12-15 years ago, but this time with a much larger population and digital audience upside,” Mason Rae Capital director Gareth Berlee said.
With an estimated 950 million cricket fans in India alone, the IPL’s commercial future appears exceptionally bright.
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