Virat Kohli’s RCB Overtakes CSK As Most Valuable IPL Franchise, League Value Surges To 18.5 Billion Dollars

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has become more valuable this year. A new report says that in 2025, the IPL is now worth $18.5 billion (₹1.56 trillion).

The biggest change is that Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is now the most valuable team. They won their first IPL trophy this year and beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in terms of brand value.

RCB Goes Ahead of CSK in Rankings

RCB’s brand value became $269 million, which was $227 million last year. This is a big jump.

Mumbai Indians (MI) is second with $242 million. CSK is now third with $235 million because they had a bad season and finished last.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) also did really well. Their value became $141 million, which is a 39.6% increase. This happened because they were the runner-up team, spent well in the auction, and did great on social media.

“The IPL continues to set benchmarks in sports business,” said Harsh Talikoti, Director at Houlihan Lokey. “It’s a high-yield, multi-asset class with diversified risks, and a catalyst for cricket’s global transformation.”

IPL Earns a Lot from Ads and Sponsors

The report says that IPL teams earn money before the matches even begin. This is because they get money from TV rights and sponsors. They also do not spend too much because stadiums are managed by BCCI, and player salaries are limited to ₹120 crore.

This year, IPL made $600 million (₹5,000 crore) just from ads. This is 50% more than last year. The BCCI also made ₹1,485 crore by selling sponsor spots to My11Circle, Angel One, RuPay and CEAT.

Tata also continued as the title sponsor by signing a five-year deal worth $300 million (₹2,500 crore).

IPL Breaks All Records in Viewership

Even though some matches were stopped for a short time due to problems in some regions, IPL 2025 had amazing viewership.

In the first weekend (March 22–24), JioHotstar had 1.37 billion views. There were 340 million people watching at the same time and 21.8 billion minutes watched. Star Sports also had 253 million viewers on TV. Total watch time was 49.5 billion minutes.

The final match between RCB and PBKS on June 3 was the most watched T20 game ever. It got more than 678 million views. It even beat the India vs Pakistan match from the Champions Trophy.

IPL is Now Growing in Other Countries Too

The report says that the IPL is now becoming famous all over the world. Foreign investors are showing interest in IPL teams, and some teams are starting to join other leagues too.

For example, Punjab Kings also owns a team called Saint Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League. They are also working hard on social media to connect with fans.

“We now operate with the mindset of a media-sport brand, not just a cricket team,” said Satish Menon, CEO of PBKS. “Our focus has been to build a sustainable sports business that spans leagues, platforms and fan cultures.”

IPL Will Become Bigger in the Future

Cricket is going to be part of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Also, the T20 World Cup in the USA was a big hit. Because of this, IPL will help make cricket more popular around the world.

The report also says that IPL seasons might become longer. This will help teams earn more and fans to enjoy more matches.

There are some problems, like rising salaries and too many ads, but IPL is still strong. It gives fans excitement and gives teams and sponsors good value.

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