IPL Broadcasting Rights Are A Hot Commodity

The Indian Premier League is currently receiving more global attention than it ever has — and with two new teams joining the league, TV rights will likely become a tug-of-war.

Disney-owned Star India’s $2.6 billion, five-year deal for IPL broadcasting rights expires next year — the same year the league expands from eight to 10 teams — and the cost is estimated to increase by at least 25%.

The most recent price tag for IPL rights nearly quadrupled from what Sony paid to broadcast the first 10 years of the league in 2008. Sony may bid for the rights again this round, along with Zee Entertainment, in which Sony plans to purchase a 53% stake.

The league has been at the center of several major deals this year.

• CVC Capital Partners, which owns stakes in La Liga, paid around $736 million for the new Ahmedabad franchise.
• RPSG, a conglomerate owned by Sanjiv Goenka, shelled out roughly $964 million for the new Lucknow team.
• In June, RedBird Capital acquired a 15% stake in IPL’s Rajasthan Royals for around $37.5 million, valuing the team at $250 million.

Last season, 31.57 million people watched the league’s final. In the past few seasons, Star India says that at least 400 million people have watched at least one match.

The IPL was reportedly valued at $6.2 billion in 2020.