IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal shuts down fears of falling media value
Published - 01 Apr 2026, 06:08 PM | Updated - 01 Apr 2026, 06:11 PM
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There have been a lot of predictions that the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) media rights might not grow much in the next cycle. Amidst the IPL 2026 actions, the Indian Premier League chairman, Arun Dhumal, has now put a full stop to all that talk.
This cycle is already record-breaking: Disney Star owns the TV rights for $3.02 billion, while Viacom18 holds the digital rights for $3.05 billion. However, some experts felt the next cycle could slow down because India’s media market is going through mergers and restructuring.
Arun Dhumal denies reports of IPL's downfall
But Arun Dhumal has claimed that the world’s biggest franchise league is nowhere close to losing value; instead, it is heading in the opposite direction. Currently, the 10-team T20 competition is in the second-last year of its 2023–27 media-rights cycle. He explained that no other sport or entertainment property in India attracts this level of interest.
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Arun Dhumal was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times: “There is a lot of consolidation that has happened in the media space. But when it comes to the IPL, there is no other property that has this kind of interest for any media company. The live sports content is outstanding. Every ball is an event.”
Next media-rights auction to bring even more competition, says Chairman
The IPL chairman even predicted that the next media rights auction will only attract more competition than the last one. Dhumal added, “By the time we go for the next media-rights cycle, there will be a lot of interest from the existing players as well as new players who may come in. I do not see any reason for the value to go down. I feel it will add up in the next cycle because of the way the tournament has progressed and the value it creates.”
The major discussion point is digital streaming. Since IPL streaming numbers have already crossed TV viewership, many are wondering whether paid streaming might reduce the audience. But Dhumal does not say, "It will drop." He feels fans will happily pay a small amount to watch live cricket, especially when the excitement continues till the very last ball.
IPL franchises thriving: Arun Dhumal
Dhumal has stressed that watching a live IPL game is much cheaper and far more thrilling than a movie for which fans spend hundreds of rupees, so there is no reason to drop its value. He also pointed out how well the IPL franchises are doing financially.
The main income from media rights has grown massively over the years—from ₹8,200 crore in the 2008–17 period to ₹16,347 crore from 2018–22 and now an unbelievable ₹48,390 crore in the current cycle. And most importantly, central sponsorships now bring in around ₹850 crore every year.
Arun Dhumal signed off by saying, “Definitely, they are profitable. If you look at the value the IPL has created over 18 editions, the growth has been significant. So, it is not just a cricket tournament. It is a strong business model and a live entertainment product, driven by competitive cricket.”
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