- In terms of INR, the value of the IPL ecosystem rose from Rs 41,800 crore to Rs 47,500 crore by about 13.5%
- The Mumbai Indians is the most valued team of the IPL with valuation to ₹809 crores
- Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore witnessed an 8 percent decrease in brand value
Despite the presence of the ICC World Cup, the Indian Premier League (IPL) brand value improved by 7 percent to reach $6.8 billion in 2019 from $6.3 billion last year, backed by the ongoing confidence shown by advertisers, broadcasters, sponsors, subsidiaries, associates and spectators, according to a study published in Mumbai by Duff & Phelps, a New York-based corporate finance advisory firm.
The Mumbai Indians, the winner of four editions, saw an 8.5 percent increase in valuation to ₹809 crores — making it the most valued team of the IPL. Chennai Super Kings, which is on the number 2 spot in brand rankings, saw a massive jump of 13.1 percent in its brand value to Rs 732 crore.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore witnessed an 8 percent decrease in brand value to reach Rs 630 crore and Rs 595 crore respectively, the report added. Sunrisers Hyderabad, the youngest franchisee in IPL, has made steady gains over the years in terms of its brand value while Delhi Capitals, on the back of its on-field performances this season, saw an appreciation of 9 percent to its brand valuation.
However, the study indicated that brand valuation growth was greater in terms of INR. “In terms of INR, the value of the IPL ecosystem rose from Rs 41,800 crore to Rs 47,500 crore by about 13.5%,” it added.
Varun Gupta, Asia Pacific Value Advisory Services Leader and India Country Leader, Duff & Phelps, said, “As we move into IPL’s second century, the league has moved from a start-up to a more mature, stable and lucrative company. A rise of 20 percent in this year’s advertising sales and the lately renewed Paytm title sponsorship deal (which attracted a 58 percent rise per match over the last deal) are testaments to IPL’s ongoing popularity. However, all teams need to concentrate on their on-field results while continuing to expand their footprint, forge relationships and create income possibilities in growth markets to sustain their momentum in order to preserve growth trajectories.
The viewership was further promoted by the official broadcast partner Star India’s focus on regional languages and unique IPL programming’ children and family’ on Sundays across its general entertainment and film channels. The league continued to woo spectators on Star India’s Hotstar digital streaming platform that broke its own 10.7 million competitor viewers world record that it set twice in this edition during last year’s IPL final. One of the league games was able to attract 12.7 million simultaneous spectators, followed by the IPL final, which was watched by 18.6 million simultaneous spectators.
Santosh N, managing partner, D and P India Advisory Services LLP, a member of the Duff & Phelps Network, said,
Online streaming would be the next big thing in sports as it offers more curated and convenient content. The Hotstar numbers is a testimony of this trend.”
With the recent rise of Jio, the internet has become cheaper and is able to penetrate deep into the tier 3 cities where the real fans of cricket exist. Online streaming has enabled them to watch whole matches on their mobile screens. This number is expected to grow further.
