- Diageo's United Spirits is selling Royal Challengers Bengaluru, including men's and women's teams
- The sale process is expected to conclude by March 31, 2026
- RCB is valued around $2 billion, among the highest for IPL franchises
Diageo, the parent company of United Spirits, has officially put Royal Challengers Bengaluru up for sale, six months after the team secured the first ever Indian Premier League title.
In an exchange filing sent to the exchanges on Wednesday, Diageo's Indian subsidiary, United Spirits Ltd. (USL), announced it is initiating a "Strategic Review" of its investment in its wholly-owned subsidiary, Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd (RCSPL). The company expects the process to conclude by March 31, 2026.
It must be noted that RCSPL owns both the IPL 2025 champion Men's team and the Women's team, which won the 2024 Women's IPL championship.
Praveen Someshwar, Managing Director & CEO of United Spirits, described RCB as a "valuable and strategic asset" but is non-core to the company's alcobev business.
Media reports suggest Diageo is seeking a valuation of around $2 billion for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which ranks among the highest-valued IPL teams and has one of the biggest fanbase, owing to the presence of various star players including Virat Kohli, Smriti Mandhana, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Phil Salt, among others.
Diageo's sports business accounted for 8.3% of the company's total profit for the financial year ending March 31, 2025.
Amid the announcement, reports have surfaced that Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, is interested in securing the team.
Both parties will hope the transaction goes through well ahead of March 2026, given that the IPL mini auction is just around the corner.
Although RCB is not expected to change the team much after a successful 2025 season, the club would want to sign a few top players to reinforce the team heading into the 2026 campaign. That is where a clear direction from the management could be integral.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
