After the conclusion of the 15th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has made a big statement on the revenue generated by the league. The former India captain said that the IPL is more valuable than the English Premier League (EPL), which is the most viewed football league in the world.
Ganguly's statement has come at a time when media companies are vying for the elusive media rights to the IPL’s next cycle, which is expected to fetch up to $6 billion.
At the on-going IPL Media Rights Auction still on, per match value has reportedly crossed the 100 crore mark. With this, the IPL has overtaken not just the English Premier League but also the Major League Baseball to become the second costliest sports property globally.
“The IPL generates more revenue than the English Premier League. It makes me feel happy and proud that the sport I love has evolved to become so strong," Ganguly said at the India Leadership Council Event. “I’ve seen the game evolve, where players like me earned a few hundreds and now have the potential of earning crores. This game is run by the fans, by the people of this country, and by the BCCI, which was formed by cricket fans,” he added.
Since the tournament’s inception in 2008, several rags to riches stories have emerged from it. The likes of T Natarajan, Mohammad Siraj or most recently Chetan Sakariya were able to transform their lives with the money earned from the IPL.
The prize money for the title winners has also evolved over the years. In the last few years, including 2022, the winners were awarded a whopping Rs 20 crore. This made the IPL the biggest-paid cricket league in the world.
Image credit: BCCI
