Credit: BCCI/IPL
IPL came into existence in 2007, and since then the annual franchise-based T20 tournament has evolved into one of the most lucrative sports properties globally. Reports claim that the immense popularity that it has gathered has constantly driven up its media rights and sponsorship deals year after year. IPL’s success has established itself as a crucial revenue stream for Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), since its inception it has been providing opportunities for players from various levels of cricket, including the Ranji Trophy.
In a report by The Hindu Business Line, quoting Rediffusion, the BCCI has reported record revenue of INR 9,471.7 crore for the financial year 2023-24, with IPL emerging as the primary contributor at 59 percent of total earnings with the league contributing INR 5,761 crore. “BCCI in 2007 discovered a golden goose, the IPL which is now a 100 percent part of the BCCI. The tournament is the best and media rights are constantly going up. IPL will continue to churn out profitability as it grows further,” said business strategist and independent director Lloyd Mathias in the report.
Despite a brief interruption during Operation Sindoor this year, IPL’s performance remained stable, demonstrating the league’s resilience.
BCCI’s revenue from non-IPL properties is INR 361 crore: Rediffusion report
While the IPL dominated the financial landscape, there’s growing consensus that the BCCI has yet to tap into the full commercial potential of its other properties. Non-IPL media rights, which includes broadcasting deals for bilateral international series and domestic tournaments, brought in INR 361 crore in FY2023-24.
“BCCI has immense potential to commercialise traditional formats like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, or CK Nayudu Trophy to shore up non-IPL revenues,” said Sandeep Goyal, chief of Rediffusion. With this kind of successful model, even the International Cricket Council reportedly relies on BCCI’s funding contributions.
