There’s no longer any debate: the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) isn’t just the richest cricket board in the world — it is the most powerful national institution in the global cricketing economy.
The BCCI has registered revenue of Rs 9,741.7 crore in the financial year 2023–24 and over 59 per cent of it (Rs 5,761 crore) has come from the Indian Premier League (IPL).
These figures, recently released by advertising and brand consultancy firm Rediffusion, reinforce how central the IPL has become to the Board’s financial model.
Experts believe the BCCI can take its game even further by exploring expansion opportunities beyond Indian borders.
“BCCI in 2007 discovered a golden goose – the IPL which is now a 100 per cent part of the BCCI. The tournament is the best and media rights are constantly going up. IPL also ensures that players from Ranji Trophy-level get a playing field. IPL will continue to churn out profitability as it grows further,” said Lloyd Mathias, business strategist and independent director, in comments to The Hindu Businessline.
He added that the global Indian diaspora drives viewership and growth for the tournament.
With rising fan engagement on television and digital platforms, the IPL shows no signs of slowing down, remaining BCCI’s number one income source.
Other revenue-generating avenues like the Women’s Premier League (WPL), media rights for international fixtures, and high-value sponsorships have strengthened the Board’s balance sheet.
Non-IPL media rights fetched Rs 361 crore, while the BCCI’s mountain of reserves — estimated at Rs 30,000 crore — generates an annual interest income of Rs 1,000 crore.
Another Rs 1,000 crore flows in annually from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“BCCI has immense potential to commercialise traditional formats like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, or CK Nayudu Trophy to shore up non-IPL revenues. Moreover, the board has close to INR 30,000 crore in reserves, which brings in about INR 1,000 crore a year in interest alone. These revenues aren't just sustainable, they are poised to grow 10–12 per cent annually, thanks to expanding sponsorships, media deals, and matchday earnings,” said Sandeep Goyal, Chief of Rediffusion.
Ajimon Francis, managing director at Brand Finance India, said: “ICC depends on BCCI for the bulk of its funding. ICC is not driving revenue as it should,” Francis said, as reported by Sportstar.
When asked how BCCI might boost non-IPL revenues, Francis suggested the board take an equity share in other international leagues at a governing level to scale up operations.
Mathias recommended that BCCI increase sponsorships and focus on popularising cricket in more countries to drive further growth.