BCCI is making ₹20,000+ crore powered by IPL:Stadium branding, merch add revenue; how much do major sports leagues earn?

Today is a big day. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. GT had a strong season and were the first team to seal a playoff spot. But RCB came into the final in red-hot form. Rajat Patidar scored an unbeaten 93 off just 33 balls in the qualifier, the fastest 90-plus innings in IPL history, helping RCB post 254 for 5, the highest total ever in an IPL playoff match. In today’s explainer, we break down the money machine behind the IPL, how it compares to the NFL, NBA and Premier League. How do teams earn from the IPL? The entire IPL is a business. Both BCCI and team owners earn significantly from every part of it. The earnings can be divided into three parts. Apart from these, other sources of income include merchandise sales, prize money, and performance bonuses from sponsors. How much money does the BCCI earn from IPL? The IPL remains the BCCI’s biggest source of income. According to the BCCI’s audited accounts for FY2023–24, the board reported total revenue of ₹9,741.71 crore, of which ₹5,761 crore came from the IPL alone, nearly 59% of its total earnings. Most of this revenue comes from IPL media rights, central sponsorships and commercial partnerships. The BCCI shares a portion of this central revenue pool with the franchises. The IPL’s financial importance has grown significantly since the start of the new ₹48,390 crore media rights cycle (2023–2027), which has sharply increased the league’s contribution to the board’s revenues. For FY2025–26, reports suggest the BCCI is projecting a surplus of around ₹6,700 crore–₹6,728 crore, driven by strong IPL revenues, sponsorship deals, media rights income and continued growth in cricket’s commercial value. What are media or broadcasting rights? Since its inception, the primary source of income for the IPL has been revenue from broadcasting rights. Broadcasting rights mean that only the channel that holds the rights can show IPL matches. What is title sponsorship? Title sponsorship is the second major pillar of central revenue. The history of IPL title sponsors shows how dramatically this revenue stream has grown over the years. BCCI keeps 20% of central sponsorship and ticketing revenue. Earnings of IPL teams from Central Revenue From 2008 to 2017, BCCI earned ₹8,400 crore from central revenue, averaging ₹840 crore per year. From 2018 to 2022, this rose to ₹18,500 crore or about ₹3,700 crore per year. Now, under the 2023–27 deal, each franchise receives a fixed ₹425 crore from the central pool. In 2025, around ₹10,000 crore was distributed among all 10 teams, with each franchise receiving ₹500 crore or more. From the ₹9,678 crore broadcast fee, the BCCI retains around ₹4,839 crore, using it to run the board and support state cricket associations. How do teams earn from advertising and promotions? Teams earn significantly from advertising and promotions through a well-structured business model involving contracts with various companies. This includes: Mumbai Indians are estimated to generate the most sponsorship revenue across all 10 IPL teams. With 37 agreed brand partnerships for the 2025 season, they are estimated to earn approximately $25 million (around ₹210 crore) in sponsorship revenue alone. New in 2025: Match fees for players BCCI introduced a match fee of ₹7.5 lakh per game in IPL 2025. Each franchise allocated ₹12.60 crore as match fees for the season. The 12 players named on the team sheet received ₹90 lakh per match across 14 league games. This sum was separate from the franchises’ auction purse. How much do teams spend? How much profit do IPL teams make annually? If we consider that IPL teams earn approximately ₹300 crore each year, and subtract expenses of around ₹160–165 crore, they make an annual profit of about ₹130–140 crore. Prize money adds to this for the top four teams. A growing risk: The online gaming ad question Fantasy sports and real-money gaming companies pumped nearly ₹2,000 crore into IPL 2025 sponsorships and advertising. A proposed Online Gaming Bill banning real-money gaming ads threatens this ecosystem, with experts fearing a ₹7,000 crore impact across TV, digital, and sponsorships. In the short term, franchises and the BCCI could see reduced sponsorship earnings. How does the IPL compare to other sports leagues? The National Football League (NFL) in the United States, cited by the BCCI as the only international sports league more valuable than the IPL, began in 1920. The English Premier League, which began in 1992, has 20 teams competing in a nine-month-long season. Is IPL losing money every year? IPL and BCCI are not losing money. In fact, it is the opposite. So where does the confusion come from? Ad revenue was ₹8,000 crore in 2023, which dropped to ₹5,000 crore in 2024. But this was not a loss. The 2023 number was a one-time spike because it was the first year TV and digital rights were sold separately, driving up competition and ad spending. 2024 was simply a return to normal. The only real risk, as mentioned in this explainer, is the proposed Online Gaming Bill. If real-money gaming ads are banned, ₹2,000 crore could disappear overnight. Experts estimate a total impact of up to ₹7,000 crore across TV, digital and sponsorships. But right now, IPL is a profitable and growing business. Graphics: Anas Shakir