Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Franchise Officially Up For Sale — Here’s What You Need to Know
The ownership of the popular Indian Premier League (IPL) team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is now officially in the market. The team’s parent company has initiated a strategic review and is preparing to sell the franchise, ushering in a major development in Indian sports-business.
RCB players celebrating their historic IPL 2025 title, ahead of a potential change in ownership.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise is likely to be sold before the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). There have been reports in the national media that the process of selling the RCB franchise has already begun. United Spirits Limited (USL), the Indian subsidiary of Diageo PLC, wrote a letter to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Wednesday stating that the franchise is likely to be sold before the IPL 2026. The letter stated that it is looking for investors in the franchise. USL said that the process will be completed by March 31, 2026.
USL has said in a letter that it is initiating a review of its investment in its subsidiary Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RSPL). The RCB men's and women's teams are up for sale. The process of selling both teams has already begun and the company expects to complete it by March 31 next year. USL CEO and MD Praveen Someshwar said that RSPL is a valuable and strategic asset for USL. However, it is not central to its alcobev business. There are reports that many shareholders are unhappy with Diageo's acquisition of the IPL team. RCB will soon change hands.
Recently, news has been doing the rounds on social media that vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India is buying RCB for around Rs 17,000 crore. This is because Adar Poonawalla posted on social media platform X. It seems that big businessmen are in the race to buy the RCB franchise. High-profile people including Parth Jindal of JSW Group are reported to have held talks with Diageo management. The Adani Group and a prominent Delhi businessman are also interested in buying the RCB team. Two US private equity firms are also in the race. Adar Poonawalla is reportedly trying hard. Adar's father Cyrus Poonawalla had bid for the franchise during the league expansion in 2010. However, Sahara and Rendezvous Sports bought both teams.
The RCB franchise was previously owned by liquor baron Vijay Mallya. In 2016, when Mallya was in dire financial straits, Diageo bought his (Mallya's) liquor company along with RCB. In 2008, Mallya bought RCB for $111.6 million (Rs. 76 crore). In 2014, Diageo acquired a majority stake in USL. By 2016, after Mallya's exit, Diageo had fully owned RCB. RCB is currently managed by USL subsidiary Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited. It is known that Royal Challengers Bangalore emerged as the winner of IPL 2025.
