The Indian Premier League (IPL) media rights auction is expected to remain flat at around $5.4 billion, indicating that the league’s rapid financial growth over the past two decades may finally slow down. This key development comes from a detailed report published by Media Partners Asia.
Media Partners Asia released its report, titled “The IPL: Teams, Rights & Valuations,” on March 24. The report clearly suggests that the upcoming IPL media rights cycle for 2028-2032 may not deliver the same massive financial jump that previously transformed the league into a global giant.
The expansion of the IPL to a 94-match format has significantly impacted the value of each individual game. While the total number of matches has increased, the per-match broadcasting value has dropped from $13.2 million to $11.5 million, showing a clear shift in the league’s monetisation structure.
At the same time, reduced competition in the broadcasting space has played a major role. The previous IPL cycle witnessed an intense bidding war between Viacom18 and Disney, which pushed the rights value higher. However, that rivalry no longer exists after their merger, which led to the creation of the JioHotstar platform.
Advertising revenue has also slowed down in recent seasons. Government regulations and bans have pushed out key spending categories like edtech companies, cryptocurrency platforms, and real-money gaming apps. This has directly affected the overall commercial growth of the IPL ecosystem.
IPL Faces Revenue Concerns Despite High Viewership
Despite record-breaking digital viewership numbers, the financial side tells a different story. The Media Partners Asia report estimates that current IPL media rights holders could incur losses between $1.8 billion and $2 billion, highlighting the growing gap between audience reach and actual revenue.
IPL franchises continue to depend heavily on central media rights revenue, which contributes nearly 75 percent of their total earnings. If these rights values remain stagnant, franchise valuations could also hit a ceiling across the league.
To deal with this situation, franchises now need to focus on building independent revenue streams. The report points out that teams must expand global sponsorship deals, invest in international academies, and strengthen direct-to-fan digital platforms to reduce dependency on central revenue.
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings Dominate Rankings
The report also features a detailed IPL franchise scorecard that compares commercial strength with on-field success.
Mumbai Indians (MI) currently rank number one, followed closely by Chennai Super Kings (CSK), once again proving their massive brand value and consistent dominance in the league.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are placed fourth despite having one of the biggest fan bases globally, largely driven by Virat Kohli’s popularity and engagement.
Meanwhile, Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are placed at the bottom of this commercial ranking, highlighting the gap in brand strength compared to the top franchises.
The IPL 2026 season will begin on March 28 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. RCB will enter the tournament as defending champions after winning the 2025 title.
Also read: Virat Kohli’s RCB take emotional step ahead of IPL 2026, stampede victims to be honoured
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