Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd. (RCSPL), the company that owns the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL), reported an 8% year-on-year increase in revenue to ₹545 crore for the financial year ending March 31, 2026, underlining the commercial momentum generated by the club’s historic maiden IPL title.
The latest financial results show revenue rising from approximately ₹505 crore in FY25, driven by higher central revenue distributions from the IPL, strong sponsorship income, increased merchandise sales and improved match-day revenues following RCB’s championship-winning campaign. The continued commercial growth of the franchise’s WPL team also contributed to the company’s expanding business portfolio, strengthening its position as a multi-team sports property.
Despite record revenues, profitability came under pressure as operating costs increased. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) declined 36% year-on-year to ₹35 crore, while profit after tax fell 54% to ₹15 crore. EBITDA margin narrowed to 6.5%, reflecting higher player-related expenditure, performance bonuses, commercial investments and other operating costs associated with a title-winning season.
The financial results come during a landmark period in the franchise’s history. Earlier this year, United Spirits Limited (USL) completed the sale of a 100% stake in Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd. to a consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group and Blackstone in a deal valued at approximately ₹16,600 crore (US$1.78 billion), making it one of the largest franchise transactions in global sport.
While the acquisition marks the beginning of a new chapter of ownership, the FY26 financials highlight the commercial strength of the business built under RCB’s previous ownership. Backed by a championship-winning campaign, one of the IPL’s largest fan bases and a diversified commercial model spanning both the IPL and WPL, the franchise continues to strengthen its position as one of Indian sport’s most valuable commercial assets.
Although margins softened during the year, the results reinforce the growing ability of leading IPL franchises to translate on-field success into sustained commercial growth through media rights distributions, sponsorships, merchandise and fan engagement, reflecting the continued evolution of franchise cricket into a premium global sports business.
