A powerhouse consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) and The Times of India Group has officially signed an agreement to acquire Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for a staggering $1.78 billion (approx. ₹16,706 crore), Cricbuzz reported.
The deal sees the consortium acquire a 100% stake in the franchise from United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of the UK-based Diageo plc. The acquisition covers both the Men’s IPL team and the reigning WPL champions, the report stated.
Who will run RCB now?
Here is a breakdown of who will actually run the RCB now-
Aditya Birla Group: Bringing decades of Indian institution-building.
The Times of India Group: Adding deep media, digital and consumer expertise.
Blackstone (BXPE): The world’s largest alternative asset manager, marking a massive long-term bet on India.
Bolt Ventures: Led by David Blitzer, a titan of US sports (Philadelphia 76ers, NJ Devils).
Under the new structure, Aryaman Vikram Birla, Director at ABG and himself a former professional cricketer, will serve as Chairman.
Satyan Gajwani, Chairman of Times Internet, will take over as Vice Chairman.
Why Diageo sold the franchise
While RCB is at its commercial and competitive peak, having won the IPL 2025 title, the exit of Diageo was triggered by social pressure following the tragic stampede during the team’s victory parade on June 4, 2025.
The incident, which claimed 11 lives, forced the beverage giant to re-evaluate its involvement in a high-visibility sport that falls outside its core alcohol and spirits business.
The Strategic vision of the new owners
For the new owners, the focus is now on transforming the “Play Bold” brand into a global entity.
“RCB offers the Aditya Birla Group a distinctive platform to extend its legacy into the arena of global sport,” said Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of ABG.
Satyan Gajwani echoed this sentiment, emphasising that while the brand will go global, it remains “deeply rooted in Bengaluru and Karnataka.”
The involvement of David Blitzer suggests a future where RCB could see cross-collaboration with NBA and NHL management styles, particularly in fan engagement and stadium technology.
What this means for the 2026 season
While the agreement is signed, the official takeover is subject to customary closing conditions and BCCI ratification. Crucially, the current leadership team and players will lead the charge this Saturday at the Chinnaswamy Stadium as they begin their title defense against SRH.
Earlier, it was reported that the Rajasthan Royals have been acquired by a US-led consortium.