Royal Challengers Bengaluru Sold for Record
Analysis based on 25 articles · First reported Mar 26, 2026 · Last updated Mar 26, 2026
The record-breaking sale of Royal Challengers Bengaluru for ₹16,660 crore to a consortium led by Aditya Birla Group highlights the significant appreciation of sports franchises in India, particularly in the Indian Premier League. This transaction demonstrates strong investor confidence in the sports entertainment sector and could encourage further investment and valuation increases across similar assets. The event also brings renewed attention to Vijay Mallya's past financial dealings and ongoing legal issues.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL franchise has been sold for a record-breaking ₹16,660 crore (approximately $2 billion) to a consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group, which also includes The Times of India, VSR Ventures Private Limited, and Blackstone Inc. This all-cash transaction, announced by previous owner United Spirits (a Diageo subsidiary), makes RCB the most expensive franchise in IPL history. Former owner Vijay Mallya, who originally bought the franchise in 2008 for ₹450 crore, congratulated the new owners and reflected on his initial investment, which has grown over 36 times. He also took credit for picking a young Bharat Kohli, who has become a global cricket star. Mallya, currently fighting extradition to India over bank fraud cases related to Kingfisher Airlines, used the occasion to address critics who had labeled his initial investment a 'vanity project.' The deal is pending regulatory approvals from the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the India — Election Commission of India. List of Madhya Pradesh cricketers will serve as chairman of the new ownership.
Set up alerts, explore entity relationships, search across thousands of events, and build custom intelligence feeds.
Open Dashboard