As of the current scenario, the IPL commands a substantial media rights value, reaching $6.2 billion (approximately Rs 48,000 crore) for a five-year period commencing in 2022.
IPL – Second-most high-valued league globally
Even with this valuation, the IPL holds the distinction of being the second-most high-valued league globally, trailing only behind the National Football League (NFL).
The NFL recently secured a monumental $110 billion media deal spanning an 11-year period, underscoring the immense financial prowess of the American sporting entity.
“If I have to see how it has gone over the last 15 years and if I have to go by estimates going forward, we are expecting media rights (of the IPL) to go somewhere close to $50 billion by around 2043,” said Dhumal while speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India in Bengaluru.
‘Financial windfall hopes rest on WPL and 2028 LA Olympics’
Former BCCI treasurer Dhumal, expresses optimism about a potential financial windfall for the league. He anchors these hopes on two key developments: the introduction of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. These strategic moves are anticipated to contribute significantly to the league’s financial growth and overall global prominence.
“We need to keep innovating, keep doing better in terms of fan engagement, and keep making it better in terms of the quality of games,” he said.
“Now that cricket is becoming part of the Olympics and with the WPL taking it to a different level for women’s cricket, I see a lot of hope and light at the end of the tunnel,” said Dhumal.
The media rights value of the IPL has grown exponentially in the last decade and half from the Rs 6000 crore in 2008, going past several other major sporting leagues across the world.
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‘IPL: Best Make in India brand’
Dhumal dissected the growth and ever-swelling popularity of the IPL.
“IPL is the most-watched cricket league in the world. Personally, I feel IPL is the best Make in India brand we can think of post-Independence.
“We are a very diverse country in terms of states, cultures and languages being spoken. But this is one platform (IPL) which is rooted so well that you are able to showcase India to the globe,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)