How are IPL Franchises Funded?
India has a rich sporting history and culture. Football, hockey, badminton, and the traditional kabaddi are all popular, but none compare to the Indian cultural phenomenon that is cricket.
In India, the IPL is the major cricket competition. It’s made up of teams from around the country, with some of the best cricket players in the world. How are these teams, or franchises as they’re known, funded? Read this article to find out.
What is the IPL?
The IPL stands for the Indian Premier League. Founded in 2007, the IPL is the highest-level cricket competition in India. It’s an annual tournament that takes place between March and May.
The IPL is made up of ten franchise teams from cities around the country. The teams currently in the IPL include the Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, Lucknow SuperGiants, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The current IPL Champions are Chennai Super Kings, who are the league’s joint most successful team along with Mumbai Indians, with both teams holding five titles.
The IPL is home to some of the world’s finest cricket players, many of whom command large fees. To retain these players, and to provide high-quality training and medical facilities, IPL franchise teams need a lot of money. How are these franchises funded? Read on to find out.
The Commercial Success of the IPL
As we mentioned earlier, cricket is far and away the most popular sport in India. The game is deeply entrenched in the culture, akin to soccer in the UK or football in the US.
Millions of Indians follow the IPL with passion and dedication, either by attending matches in person or watching on television. Either way, there are plenty of ways the IPL can profit from this, and global media expansion means the IPL can now be seen listed among the best cricket betting odds in SA.
Given the enormous popularity of cricket in India, it will come as no surprise to learn that the IPL is extremely commercially successful. Analysis conducted this year values the IPL at approximately $15.4 billion.
With so much money coming in, how does this filter down to the franchises? Read on to find out.
Media Rights
The IPL is controlled by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BBCI). This body is responsible for collecting revenue from media contracts, including streaming and TV deals.
Under the current structure, between 40% and 50% of this revenue is shared among IPL franchises. The IPL champion will receive a larger portion of this revenue share, but all teams are set to see their earnings increase in future IPL seasons.
Prize Money
As well as media rights, IPL franchises also raise funds through prize money.
The first, second, third, and fourth-placed teams at the end of the season are awarded prize money. In 2022, the prizes awarded for these positions were $2.6 million, $1.7 million, $930,000, and $860,000 respectively.
Prize money incentivizes teams to perform well, and promotes greater competition and higher stakes, making for a more exciting sporting experience.
Gate Receipts
While the majority of people these days watch sports on TV or via an internet-based streaming service, the best way to experience sports is in a live stadium setting.
The cricket fans of India will certainly attest to this; the IPL regularly attracts huge audiences, with these gate receipts and ticket sales making up a significant portion of IPL funding.
In 2022, a new crowd size record was set for the IPL Final, which saw Gujarat Titans overcome Rajasthan Royals to lift the title. An enormous crowd of over 100,000 spectators arrived at the Narendra Modi Stadium to watch the match.
Sponsorship and Merchandise
As well as prize money, media rights, and gate receipts, sponsorship deals and merchandise sales are also vital for IPL franchises looking to raise funds.
Each IPL franchise has a main sponsor, along with several other secondary sponsors. These deals can prove incredibly lucrative. For example, Chennai Super Kings signed a main sponsorship agreement with tyre manufacturer TVS Eurogrip in 2021, a deal valued at around $12 million.
Merch sales also play an important role. Cricket fans in India are passionate, they are dedicated to their teams and will proudly wear their colours and logos at games and in everyday life. Jerseys, hats, caps, and scarves are all big sellers and provide a vital income stream for IPL franchises.
Conclusion
Cricket is a huge business in India. IPL franchises need money to compete and to stay ahead of the competition. They are funded through a combination of media revenue, prize money, gate receipts, sponsorship deals, and merchandise sales.
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