IPL becomes world’s 2nd most valued sporting league
The media rights for the 2023 to 2027 seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL) were sold for a total of approximately Rs 48,390.52 crore ($6.20 billion), catapulting the BCCI-owned cricket league to the number two position in the world in terms of the most valued sporting leagues.
Now, only the National Football League, or NFL of USA is ahead of IPL, while the latter is followed by the National Basketball Association, or NBA (also of USA) and England’s English Premier League, or EPL.
In the five years from the 2023 season to the 2027 season, 410 matches will be played (74 matches each in 2023 and 2024, 84 matches each in 2025 and 2026, and 94 matches in 2027).
Thus, the per match value of an IPL match has gone up to Rs 118.02 crore (48,390.52 divided by 410), which is more than double the current Rs 54.5 crore (for the 2018 to 2022 seasons).
In dollar terms, this per match value is approximately $14.61 million, while for NFL, it is $17 million.
For the five-year period, here is the break-up of the amounts the media rights were sold for:
- Subcontinental TV rights (comprising package A of the bidding process) sold for Rs 23,575 crore, to Disney Star-backed STAR India
- Subcontinental digital rights (package B) sold for Rs 20,500 crore, to Reliance-backed Viacom18
- Digital rights for 18 non-exclusive marquee games per season (90 matches for five seasons) (package C) sold for Rs 3,257.52 crore, to Viacom18
- Overseas TV and digital rights (package D) sold for Rs 1,058 crore to Viacom18 (Asia, Australia, Canada, the Caribbean islands, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, the UK and Europe) and Times Internet Limited (MENA [the Middle East and North Africa] and USA)
BCCI secretary Jay Shah tweeted: “IPL is now the 2nd most valued sporting league in the world in terms of per match value”, adding, “The bid is a direct testimony to the BCCI’s organisational capabilities despite two pandemic years.”
