The IPL ecosystem value has decreased by 3.6% to Rs 45,800 crore in 2020 from Rs 47,500 crore in 2019: Duff & Phelp

• Mumbai Indians retained the top spot in the franchise brand rankings for the fifth consecutive year, with a brand value of INR 761.0 crore, down 5.9% from last year.
• Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have seen their brand value erode by approximately 16.5% and 13.7%, respectively, compared to last year.

Duff & Phelps, A Kroll Business, today released key findings from its IPL Brand Valuation Report 2020, a study of brand values in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

2020 was a challenging year with economic distress and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sports economy was not immune to this crisis, and the pandemic disrupted the sporting calendar for the year, with a string of tournaments being postponed or cancelled.

The IPL also felt the heat of the pandemic, and the findings of the seventh edition of this annual IPL study suggest that the IPL ecosystem value has decreased by 3.6% in constant currency terms to INR 45,800 crore from INR 47,500 crore last year. The individual franchisees have also witnessed a reduction in their brand values over the last year, mainly due to reduced franchisee-related sponsorship revenue, loss of gate receipts, reduced food and beverage (F&B) revenue and certain teams’ on-field performances.

“Similar to the impact on other businesses and the overall economy, the pandemic led to a decline in the IPL ecosystem value. However, with people forced to spend time at home, there was an increase in IPL television viewership. The 2020 edition was a huge success for broadcasters as it broke viewership and advertising revenue records. Television ratings skyrocketed and advertisers tapped into this opportunity to scale up their brand image. Despite the challenging year, this momentum is indicative of how strong the IPL brand has become,” said Santosh N, External Advisor, Duff & Phelps India Pvt. Ltd.

“With the economy opening and COVID-19 cases decreasing in India, we expect sponsorship deals to be back to their pre-COVID-19 levels. We have now entered a more stable phase in terms of the IPL ecosystem's value; the value appreciation is not expected at the rate of previous years. However, an increase in the number of teams in 2022 and the renewal of media rights in 2023 could enhance the IPL ecosystem value in the future,” Santosh added.

Commenting on the future of the sports ecosystem in India, Varun Gupta, Managing Director and Asia Pacific Leader for Valuation Advisory Services at Duff & Phelps, A Kroll Business said, “The IPL reflects the evolution of the modern cricket business, with clubs benefitting not only from the sport's enduring popularity in India but also from the game going global and from some great marketing initiatives. We believe that for growth trajectories to maintain their momentum, all teams need to continue broadening their footprint, forming relationships and generating revenue opportunities in growth markets.”

In 2020, IPL season 13 has seen lower sponsorship revenues as compared to previous years (Dream11 paid INR 222 crores for the season, as against Vivo’s cancelled contract of INR 440 crores per season for the IPL title sponsorship). However, IPL’s impact on its sponsors/partners continues to be remarkable. Following the announcement of central sponsorships by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the title sponsor Dream11 secured USD 225 million in funding, one of the official sponsors Unacademy joined the unicorn club with funding of USD 150 million, and another official sponsor CRED secured USD 80 million, bringing it closer to unicorn status.