A consortium comprising Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone has acquired the team for a whopping $1.78 billion (approximately ₹16,600 crore). This deal marks the biggest sale of an Indian sports venture and values Royal Challengers Bengaluru as one of the most expensive IPL franchises.
The acquisition process began when Diageo, the parent company of United Spirits Ltd (USL), decided to sell Royal Challengers Bengaluru as part of its strategic review of non-core businesses. The consortium emerged as the winner, beating other bidders like Adar Poonawalla and Ranjan Pai. The deal is subject to approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and other regulatory authorities.
Aryaman Vikram Birla, Director of Aditya Birla Group, will serve as Chairman, while Satyan Gajwani of The Times of India Group will be Vice Chairman. The new owners aim to build RCB into a global sporting institution, leveraging their expertise in sports, media, and consumer businesses.
RCB is set to kick off its IPL 2026 campaign on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. With their new ownership and recent title win, the team is poised for success.