Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The media rights value of the IPL has witnessed extraordinary growth from 2008 to 2026, reflecting its rise as one of the world’s most valuable sports properties. When the league began in 2008, its broadcasting rights were sold to Sony for approximately Rs 8,200 crore for a ten-year period.
At that time, the IPL was a new and untested concept, and its revenues were driven primarily by television advertising within India. The first major increase occurred in 2017, when Star India acquired the rights for Rs 16,347 crore for five years (2018–2022), effectively doubling the previous deal. This surge was largely fueled by the rapid expansion of smartphones and affordable internet, especially after the telecom revolution triggered by Reliance Jio. Digital streaming through platforms like Disney Hotstar significantly expanded the IPL’s audience base beyond traditional television viewers.
The most dramatic growth came in the 2023–2027 cycle, which covers 2026. The total media rights were sold for an astonishing Rs 48,390 crore, nearly three times the previous cycle.
Notably, the rights were split between TV and digital platforms, with companies like Viacom18 securing digital rights. For the first time, digital broadcasting rivaled and even surpassed television in value, highlighting a major shift in viewer preferences. Overall, the IPL’s media rights value has increased nearly sixfold from 2008 to 2026. This growth is driven by massive viewership, digital expansion, intense bidding competition, and the league’s evolution into a global sporting and entertainment phenomenon.
