BCCI earns record revenue of ₹9,741.7 crore in FY24, IPL proves main cash cow

The Hindu

10 hours ago

The annual cricket extravaganza the Indian Premier League (IPL) has proved to be a golden-egg-laying goose for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), contributing over 59 per cent of its revenue in FY24, according to a report by Rediffusion.
Experts say the Board can take it further still by branching outside India.
'BCCI in 2007 discovered a golden goose – the IPL which is now a 100 per cent part of the BCCI. The tournament is the best and media rights are constantly going up. IPL also ensures that players from Ranji Trophy-levelget a playing field. IPL will continue to churn out profitability as it growth further,' said Lloyd Mathias, business strategist and independent director, pointing out that the Indian cricket event gets a big viewership as the India diaspora is huge.
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BCCI could popularise cricket in more countries which would help increase revenue, he added.
According to branding and ad giant Rediffusion, the BCCI generated ₹9,741.7 crore revenue in FY23–24, and along with IPL, which generated revenue of ₹5,761 crore, and growing streams like WPL and global rights, 'BCCI has built a billion-rupee engine powered by fan love, smart deals, and cricketing excellence.'
The Board also earned ₹361 crore from non-IPL media rights, as per the numbers. This income comes from broadcasting rights for international cricket matches and tournaments, contributing significantly to BCCI's diverse revenue streams.
'BCCI has immense potential to commercialise traditional formats like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, or CK Nayudu Trophy to shore up non-IPL revenues. Moreover, the board has close to ₹30,000 crore in reserves, which brings in about ₹1,000 crore a year in interest alone. These revenues aren't just sustainable—they are poised to grow 10–12 per cent annually, thanks to expanding sponsorships, media deals, and matchday earnings.,' said Sandeep Goyal, Chief of Rediffusion.
Ajimon Francis, Managing Director at Brand Finance India, said that the revenue performance by IPL shows that BCCI has created a good business model.
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'ICC depends on BCCI for the bulk of its funding. ICC is not driving revenue as it should,' he said.
On the flipside, an interruption in IPL revenues can also mean a big hit for BCCI. This year, the league was interrupted due to Operation Sindoor, when some events were briefly halted. However, Francis argued that the IPL performance remained 'hunky-dory' despite the temporary halt. He also pointed out that other leagues of BCCI like WPL also drive sponsors, from whom there is significant demand.
'The point is, so what if IPL makes for the bulk of BCCI's revenue? It's just a portfolio of revenues, some do better, some do not,' said Francis.
When asked what BCCI can do to boost, non-IPL revenues, Francis suggested the body take equity share in other leagues at a governing level to scale up. Whereas, Mathias suggested that BCCI increase its sponsors, popularise cricket more in other countries to increase its revenue.
Earlier in April, Lancashire County Cricket Club's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) also reportedly said that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) should offer the BCCI a minority stake in the Hundred to attract Indian men's players to the tournament.
This story by Aroosa Ahmed, Vallari Sanzgiri and Anupama Ghosh was originally published in The Hindu Businessline.