RCB valued near $1.8B
- Reports say Blackstone’s entry into Royal Challengers Bengaluru is being priced at about $1.8 billion. (deccanherald.com) - Franchise valuations for teams like RCB and RR are cited above ₹15,000 crore in recent league-economy writes. (news9live.com) - The reported price tags sit against an ongoing media-rights boom that underpins franchise value discussions. (deccanherald.com)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru has been sold in a deal that values the Indian Premier League franchise at about $1.78 billion, or ₹16,660 crore. (blackstone.com) Blackstone is part of the buying group alongside Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India Group and Bolt Ventures. The sellers are United Spirits and parent Diageo, which said on March 24 and March 25, 2026 that the consortium would buy 100% of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited in an all-cash transaction. (diageoindia.com, diageo.com) The asset is bigger than one men’s team. The buyers said the deal includes both the men’s Indian Premier League side and the women’s franchise in the Women’s Premier League. (adityabirla.com) That price puts RCB in the top tier of global cricket-team valuations. Deccan Herald reported the transaction at roughly $1.8 billion, while News9 recently cited RCB and Rajasthan Royals valuations above ₹15,000 crore as franchise prices across the league climbed. (deccanherald.com, news9live.com) The money behind those valuations starts with television and streaming rights. In June 2022, the Board of Control for Cricket in India sold Indian Premier League media rights for the 2023-2027 cycle for ₹48,390.32 crore. (iplt20.com) RCB also came to market after a title run changed the franchise’s profile. Blackstone’s March 24 statement described RCB as the reigning Indian Premier League and Women’s Premier League champion, after the women’s side won in 2024 and the men’s side added the IPL title in 2026. (blackstone.com) For Diageo and United Spirits, the sale is a portfolio move as much as a sports bet. ESPNcricinfo reported in November 2025 that Diageo had begun steps toward a divestment, and the March 2026 company statements completed that process with a signed sale agreement. (espncricinfo.com, diageoindia.com) The open question now is whether RCB’s sale becomes a benchmark for the next round of cricket-franchise deals. At ₹16,660 crore, the transaction gives buyers, sellers and league owners a fresh number for what a premier Indian cricket brand can command in 2026. (economictimes.indiatimes.com, deccanherald.com)
