Aditya Birla Group, TOI Group, Bolt Ventures & Blackstone acquire RCB for $1.78 billion

Mumbai: Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone person signed a definitive statement to get 100% of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise that volition see some the men and women’s teams.The Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchises are being acquired from United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo plc. The transaction has valued the franchise astatine US$1.78b (approx. INR 16,600 crore).

The acquisition is taxable to customary closing conditions, including the support from BCCI, the IPL governing assembly and different authorities.The franchise, nether its caller ownership operation station the 2026 edition, volition spot Aryaman Vikram Birla, manager astatine Aditya Birla Group service arsenic president portion Satyan Gajwani of the Times of India Group volition beryllium the vice-chairman.

“Over the past 2 decades, the IPL has morphed to go a planetary sporting powerhouse that has changed the look of Indian cricket creating tremendous worth for India. RCB, arsenic 1 of the astir compelling franchises successful modern sport, offers the Aditya Birla Group a distinctive level to widen its bequest of institution-building into the arena of planetary sport. We are delighted to go custodians of this plus and committed to further gathering this bonzer legacy,” said Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group.

Times Internet Limited's Gajwani said successful a media note, “RCB is the reigning champion and the astir fashionable marque successful the IPL. As The Times of India Group, unneurotic with our partners, we volition physique RCB into a planetary sporting institution, portion remaining rooted successful Bengaluru and Karnataka and its unthinkable fanbase. We are committed to the radical who built this championship-winning civilization - the players, coaches, the enactment team, and the fans.

We look guardant to supporting the squad arsenic they instrumentality the transportation connected Saturday to support RCB’s title.”

Adar Poonawalla of the Serum Institute of India, Ranjan Pai of Manipal Hospitals, backstage equity firms EQT, TPG and Temasek and the Glazer household that owns the Manchester United nine were among the different funny bidders erstwhile Diageo Plc had archetypal initiated the process to merchantability RCB.In 2008, erstwhile the BCCI floated IPL, United Spirits had submitted a winning bid of US$111.6m (approx Rs 485 cr) to get the Bangalore franchise.

In 2023, the RCB absorption had paid different Rs 901 crore to get the WPL team. In 2024, RCB won the WPL and followed it up with their first-ever IPL rubric triumph successful 2025.The franchise has featured immoderate of T20’s top icons including Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson, Anil Kumble, Glenn Maxwell, Yuvraj Singh and Faf du Plessis among others.

In 2013, aft Kohli took implicit arsenic skipper of the IPL, the franchise’s popularity catapulted from being conscionable 1 among the 8 teams to becoming 1 of the astir fashionable and sought-after properties successful the tournament.Kohli’s emergence arsenic Team India skipper and cricket’s astir authoritative marque coincided with RCB’s emergence arsenic 1 of IPL’s astir followed teams. Despite the deficiency of a rubric triumph successful 17 years, the franchise acquired wide pursuing among fans successful Karnataka, crossed the state and societal media.As of 2026, RCB remains close connected apical wherever its societal media scope and wide popularity crossed broadcast media is concerned.In 2025, Brand Finance had listed RCB arsenic IPL’s 2nd astir invaluable marque aft Mumbai Indians and among the apical 3 strongest IPL brands alongside Mumbai and Chennai. The aforesaid year, planetary concern slope Houlihan Lokey had besides listed the RCB arsenic IPL’s foremost brand.