Royal Challengers Bengaluru have been officially put on sale.
United Spirits said it has begun “strategic review” of its investment in Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd, which owns the RCB cricket franchise.
“It is expected the process will conclude by March 31st, 2026,” United Spirits said in a disclosure to the Bombay Stock Exchange.
Praveen Someshwar, managing director & CEO of United Spirits, said: “RCSPL has been a valuable and strategic asset for USL, however it’s non-core to our alcobev business. This step reinforces USL’s & Diageo’s commitment to continue reviewing its India enterprise portfolio to enable sustained delivery of long-term value to all its stakeholders, while keeping RCSPL’s best interest in mind”.
Several high-profile parties have shown interest in RCB in the past, including the Adani Group, Parth Jindal of JSW Group, Adar Poonawalla of Serum Institute of India and Delhi-based Ravi Jaipuria of RJ Corporation Ltd.
The Adani Group narrowly missed buying a franchise in 2022 when two new teams came into existence following tenders floated by the BCCI.
Diageo has reportedly been seeking a valuation of $2billion for RCB. However, not all agree with the valuation and a lot will depend on the projection of the media rights value during the next cycle, which will begin in 2028.