For Chennai Super Kings, the disappointment of its worst-ever IPL finish in 2025 did not end with the team’s exit from the tournament. The poor showing has now shown up in the books of its promoter, Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd (CSKCL), with a sharp fall in central rights income dragging down both revenue and profitability in FY26.
CSKCL’s standalone revenue for FY26 fell marginally to ₹636 crore from ₹644 crore in the previous year, according to the company’s annual report. The decline was primarily due to a steep reduction in Central Rights income, which fell to ₹38 crore in FY26 from ₹468 crore in FY25.
“The reduction in Central Rights Income is due to the standing of the Team at the tenth position in IPL 2025 as against the fifth position in IPL 2024,” CSKCL said. Central rights income is the share of revenue a franchise receives from the IPL’s centrally negotiated broadcasting and digital media rights, distributed among the participating teams. Consequently, profit after tax fell to ₹162 crore from ₹181 crore in FY25.
Chennai Super Kings finished 10th in the IPL 2025 points table, marking the lowest finishing in the short format cricket’s eighteen editions. The team won just four of their 14 matches in IPL 2025 edition. The five-time IPL champions’ also struggled into the IPL 2026 season, when the team finished eighth and again failed to qualify for the knockouts.
“While your IPL Franchise Chennai Super Kings did not qualify for the Knockouts, we remain optimistic of a strong comeback and an improved performance in the upcoming season,” CSKCL said.
Operational Revenue Resilience
Despite the sharp fall in rights income, revenue from operations increased to ₹622 crore from ₹615 crore in the year ended March 2025. The company said the decline in central rights income was more than offset by higher sponsorship income and other tournament-related income. Other income declined to ₹14 crore from ₹29 crore, primarily due to a decrease in interest income.
“The surplus funds, during the year under review, have been redeployed from Inter Corporate Deposits in the previous year to mutual funds, resulting in the reduction in interest income,” CSKCL said.
Escalating Operating Costs
Total expenses increased to ₹418 crore from ₹401 crore, primarily on account of an increase in cost of operations in line with the growth in operational revenue, along with higher employee benefits expenses due to the deployment of more full-time resources and a consequent increase in headcount.
On a consolidated basis, revenue rose to ₹712 crore from ₹704 crore a year earlier, while profit for the year declined to ₹114 crore from ₹148 crore. The consolidated results include Superking Ventures Private Limited and its international T20 franchises, Joburg Super Kings and Super Kings International Inc, both of which are loss-making ventures.