When Royal Challengers Bengaluru changed hands for ₹16,600cr in March, followed by Rajasthan Royals at ₹15,100cr, the cricket world gasped. Two franchises sold for nearly five times the original price of all eight IPL teams combined. IPL now commands a place alongside NFL and NBA, in global sports league valuations. How does a cricket tournament, operating merely 8-10 weeks annually, command such valuations? The answer lies in the convergence of media, technology, consumer behaviour, and financial engineering – these define IPL today.
