Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had a dream season in 2025. After winning their first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) title, they also have become the most valuable team in the league. According to a new report by global investment bank Houlihan Lokey, RCB’s brand value jumped to $269 million, rising from $227 million in 2024.
RCB’s victory in the IPL final saw strong growth across social media, merchandise sales and sponsorship deals. This jump helped them overtake Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who are now third-most valuable IPL team after RCB and Mumbai Indians (MI).
The report also highlighted the overall growth of the Indian Premier League. The IPL’s business valuation grew by 12.9% year-on-year and reached $18.5 billion (INR 1.56 trillion). Its brand value alone increased by 13.8% to $3.9 billion (₹32,721 crore).
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RCB Beat CSK in IPL Brand Valuation Race
After RCB, Mumbai Indians secured the second position in the brand value rankings with a valuation of $242 million. Known for their consistent performances and strong backing from corporate giant Reliance, MI continue to be one of the league’s most commercially successful teams.
Chennai Super Kings, long considered the league’s strongest brand, slipped to third place with a value of $235 million. Their fall was largely due to a disappointing season on the field, where they finished at the bottom of the table for the first time.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) held on to fourth place with a valuation of $227 million. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), valued at $154 million, maintained their place in the mid-tier of franchises.
Delhi Capitals (DC), valued at $152 million, had a quiet season both on and off the field, which kept their valuation relatively flat. Same goes for Rajasthan Royals (RR), whose valuation currently is $146 million
Gujarat Titans (GT), updated to $142 million, are at eighth place in terms of valuation. They had a good season and were one of the four teams, which qualified for the playoffs.
The biggest surprise of the year was Punjab Kings (PBKS), whose brand value rose by an impressive 39.6% to $141 million. Their runner-up finish in the tournament and strong social media presence contributed to this surge.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) follow closely at $122 million. Although they did not have a good season on the field, their young brand is growing steadily.
- RCB - $269 Million
- MI - $242 Million
- CSK - $235 Million
- KKR - $227 Million
- SRH - $154 Million
- DC - $152 Million
- RR - $146 Million
- GT - $142 Million
- PBKS - $141 Million
- LSG - $122 Million
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IPL 2025 Sets New Viewership Records
IPL 2025 delivered record-breaking viewership numbers. Between March 22 and 24, during the opening weekend, JioHotstar recorded 1.37 billion views. The platform peaked at 340 million concurrent viewers with 21.8 billion minutes of watch time.
Television viewership was equally strong. Star Sports drew 253 million unique viewers over the season. When combined, total watch time across digital and TV platforms jumps to 49.5 billion minutes, setting a new benchmark for cricket broadcasting.
The final between RCB and PBKS on June 3 became the most-watched T20 match in history with over 678 million views. It even surpassed the India vs Pakistan game from the Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year.
Also read: Virat Kohli Watches Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, Says “Business as Usual for the Gladiator”
