The Indian Premier League, known as the IPL, is like a festival in India that comes once a year, India ka Tyohar.”
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Launched in 2008 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), it’s full of entertainment, which has grown exponentially into one of the most profitable sports leagues worldwide.
Its massive popularity has boosted tourism and job creation, especially in India, and even boosts the Indian economy.
The success of the IPL has influenced cricket globally, from Australia’s Big Bash League and England’s The Hundred to the Caribbean Premier League.
It has been broadcast in 120 countries because its influence extends worldwide through social media and sponsorship.
Now it has also made a presence in non-traditional markets like the U.S. and U.A.E, and not only that, during the period of Corona, matches are played in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah too.
As I have stated above, the IPL was started in 2008, and its first game was played in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
In these 17 years of the journey of IPL, it has grown so huge that the revenue of this game has surpassed Rs10,000 crore and is rapidly growing every season.
IPL 2025 Revenue : Where Does the Money Come From?
It is just not a sporting event; it is a financial juggernaut. It’s a game of money. Around $807 million (approximately Rs 7000 crore) in revenue was generated just from the advertising in the 2025 season, roughly. $600 million alone brought by Broadcast.
The 2025 season has become the notable shift that has generated around Rs 7000 crore (approximately $807 million) in advertising revenues from digital platforms.
If we see the revenue of 2023 approximately around 10,000 crore generated from advertising, 4,700 crore was brought in from JioCinema and StarSports.
1,450 crore from franchises and 430 crore from BCCI. Now the big giant business tycoon of India, the Tata Group, has taken its sponsorship from 2024 to 2028.
An estimated amount paid by the Tata Group is Rs 2,500 crore ($301 million), which is the highest ever for the league.
IPL Revenue List :
- 4700 Cr from JioCinema & Star Sports
- 1450 Cr from Franchises
- 430 Cr from BCCI
- 2500 Cr sponsorship by Tata (2024–2028)
- 807 Million (approx.) from digital ads
Cricket Mania in India
People in India don’t see the Indian Premier League (IPL) as a tournament; it’s a national obsession for every Indian—it’s not just a competition.
It’s a celebration of one month. Families gathering and watching together, sitting around TVs. Stadiums are full of crowds with bustling activities, and social media—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, every social media platform—is ablaze with memes and debates.
Bollywood stars like King Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, and Preity Zinta, owner of Punjab Kings, are the prime example of how Bollywood celebrity ownership increases a team’s appeal.
Gambling in IPL
How can we forget platform-like Dream11 , My11Circle, and Mobile Premier League (MPL), which have been downloaded more than 100 million times till now
Every Indian is aware of this platform, which allows users to create a team in an actual match and earn points based on the performance given by the players in the match.
On which the user can win a highest amount of up to Rs 3 Cr and much more. And the Supreme Court of India has provided them a legal backing.
Illegal Gambling in IPL
As per the report published in some of the newspapers, illegal betting has been highlighted in metro cities like Delhi, where 5 individuals were arrested for running a betting racket online sized around 28 lakhs.
Even 6 cases have been registered in Goa, where 44 people have been arrested for illegally betting on IPL, where a betting amount of Rs 45 lakhs was confiscated.
According to reports, the illegal betting on IPL is huge too; it has reached up to Rs 8.2 lakh crore ($100 billion), which is a loss in tax of around Rs 2.3 lakh crore.
Conducting raids a number of times, the Enforcement Directorate has seized many assets that are connected to illegal betting sites like Fairplay, whose turnover was almost Rs 117 crore.
Sport or Spectacle?
Its popularity in India and its global impact are unquestionable; it’s really a “Tyohar in India.” IPL has captured viewers attention around the world.
It’s full of entertainment in sports, but the extreme growth of this legacy of both legal and illegal betting raises ethical questions.
BCCI and other stakeholders of IPL should look after this matter seriously and maintain the reliability of the sport.
