Mumbai: Aditya Birla Group, Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone have signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise, which includes the men’s and women’s teams.Indian Premier League (intense pulsed light) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchises were acquired from United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo plc. The deal values ​​the franchise at US$1.78b (approximately INR 166 billion).
The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including approvals from the BCCI, IPL Governing Council and other authorities.As per the new ownership structure post-2026 version, the franchise will be chaired by Aryaman Vikram Birla, director of Aditya Birla Group, while Satyan Gajwani of Times of India Group will serve as vice chairman.“Over the past 20 years, the IPL has grown into a global sporting powerhouse, changing the face of Indian cricket and creating immense value for the country. RCB, as one of the most high-profile franchises in modern sports, provides the Aditya Birla Group with a unique platform to extend its institution-building legacy to the global sports arena. We are delighted to be the custodian of this asset and are committed to further building this extraordinary legacy.” Kumar Mangalam BirlaChairman, Aditya Birla Group.
File photo of Kumar Mangalam Birla of Aditya Birla Group.
Times Internet Limited’s Gajwani said in a media note, “RCB is the reigning champion and most popular brand of the IPL. As Times of India Group, we will work with our partners to build RCB into a global sports institution while remaining rooted in Bengaluru and Karnataka and its incredible fan base. We are committed to the people who create this championship culture – the players, coaches, leadership team and fans.” We look forward to supporting the team as they take the field on Saturday to defend the RCB title. “
File photo of Times of India team Satyan Gajwani.
When Diageo first launched the process to sell RCB, Serum Institute of India’s Adar Poonawalla, Manipal Hospital’s Ranjan Pai, private equity firms EQT, TPG and Temasek, as well as the Glazer family, which owns Manchester United, were other interested bidders.In 2008, when BCCI launched the IPL, United Spirits submitted a winning bid of $111.6 million (approximately INR 485 Cr) to acquire the Bengaluru-based franchise. In 2023, the RCB management paid another Rs 901 crore to acquire the WPL team. In 2024, RCB won the WPL and in 2025, they won the IPL title for the first time.The series brings together some of T20’s greatest icons including Virat KohliChris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson, Anil Kumble, Glenn Maxwell, Yuvraj Singh and Faf du Plessis, among others.
Virat Kohli was leading Royal Challengers Bangalore before Rajat Patidar took over. (Photo credit – X/RCB)
After Kohli took over as IPL captain in 2013, the team’s popularity jumped from one of eight teams to one of the most popular and sought-after teams in the tournament.Kohli’s rise as India captain and cricket’s most authoritative brand has coincided with RCB’s emergence as one of the most talked-about teams in the IPL. Despite not winning a championship in 17 years, the team has still gained a huge following in Karnataka, across the country and on social media.As of 2026, RCB remains at the top in terms of its social media presence and general popularity of broadcast media.In 2025, Brand Finance ranked RCB as the second most valuable brand in the IPL after Mumbai Indians and among the three strongest brands in the IPL along with Mumbai and Chennai. In the same year, global investment bank Houlihan Lokey also listed RCB as the top brand in the IPL.
