IPL's business value rises to $20.6 billion in 2026 as tycoons flock
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The Indian Premier League saw its business value climb to $20.6 billion in 2026, according to global investment bank Houlihan Lokey, highlighting the world’s richest cricket competition’s continued double-digit growth and cementing its status as one of the top global sports properties.
Launched in 2008, the franchise-based league has pulled in owners who double as national celebrities, from Mukesh Ambani, India’s second richest man, to the Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, while drawing the world’s top players to the cricket-mad nation every year for a roughly two-month season.
“The IPL represents a unique convergence of sport, media, and consumer opportunity, underpinned by strong revenue visibility, disciplined cost structures, and an expanding global audience,” said Harsh Talikoti, director in Houlihan Lokey’s financial and valuation advisory business. The investment bank said IPL’s business value grew 11.4 per cent in 2026.
Houlihan Lokey’s 2026 IPL Brand Valuation Study found that IPL’s standalone brand value has risen to $4.3 billion, up 10.3 per cent from the previous year, only behind the National Football League globally on a per-match basis. The league’s most valuable team is Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the reigning champion.
Team valuations are soaring on the back of a string of blockbuster deals. In May, a consortium led by steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal and vaccine tycoon Adar Poonawalla said they will buy the Rajasthan Royals franchise in a deal valued at $1.65 billion. That followed the March sale of a stake in RCB by liquor company United Spirits Ltd. to a consortium including billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla and The Times of India Group for just under $1.8 billion.
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