The 2025 IPL season was about more than just cricket. It was about breaking records, rewriting business books and giving fans a season to remember.
While Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally won their first title after 17 long years, the league itself reached new heights in terms of value, viewership and sponsorship.
According to a new report by global investment bank Houlihan Lokey, the IPL’s enterprise value has grown 12.9% to $18.5 billion.
And its brand value? That’s now at $3.9 billion, up 13.8% from last year. In short, IPL isn’t just growing it’s exploding.
RCB’s title win was more than just emotional. It added big numbers to their brand. The franchise jumped from $227 million to $269 million in value, making them the most valuable team in the IPL. Yes, they even overtook Chennai Super Kings who’ve now slipped to third place.
Mumbai Indians had a great year off the field too. Even without winning the title, they climbed from fourth to second place with a brand value of $242 million.
CSK, on the other hand, saw a small bump to $235 million, which wasn’t enough to keep their top position. Their season didn’t go as planned and the valuation shows it.
But the IPL’s story this year wasn’t just about the teams. It was also about how much money the league pulled in. The BCCI’s associate sponsor slots My11Circle, Angel One, RuPay and CEAT brought in ₹1,485 crore.
That’s a 25% rise from last year. And let’s not forget the Tata Group which extended its title sponsorship deal through 2028 for a massive ₹2,500 crore. Clearly big brands are still all in on the IPL.
Viewership numbers told a powerful story too. The opening weekend itself saw JioHotstar cross 1,370 million views a 35% jump from last year.
The platform hit a peak of 340 million concurrent viewers, with over 21.8 billion minutes watched. Meanwhile Star Sports pulled in 253 million unique viewers on TV. Combine that and you get nearly 50 billion minutes of cricket watched in just one weekend.
And then came the final. RCB vs PBKS. A new champion was guaranteed and the hype didn’t disappoint.
The final pulled in 678 million views on JioHotstar beating even the India vs Pakistan ICC clash earlier this year. That’s how big IPL has become.
Franchises aren’t just teams anymore. They’re becoming media brands. Look at Punjab Kings. Despite not winning the title, they saw a 39.6% growth in brand value the highest of any team.
Their CEO, Satish Menon, said it best: “We now operate with the mindset of a media-sport brand, not just a cricket team.” For them, success comes from content, partnerships and building something that lasts beyond the season.
Lucknow Super Giants are doing the same. Their brand value went up by more than 34%. These younger teams are proving that with the right strategy they can catch up and maybe even surpass the traditional powerhouses.
This year is different. Teams that are adapting to the new world of sports, content and digital are growing faster.
Chennai may have legacy and fan love but teams like PBKS and LSG are thinking differently and it’s working.
Harsh Talikoti, Director at Houlihan Lokey, put it perfectly. He said the IPL is no longer just a cricket league it’s a multi-asset business that attracts global investors, big brands and loyal fans.
It’s sport + entertainment + business = something bigger than anyone thought when it started in 2008.
IPL 2025 was the turning point. RCB got their fairy tale finish. New heroes emerged. And the league as a whole became one of the biggest sports brands in the world. If this is the present, the future of IPL is unstoppable.
