The story of the ownership of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has entered a serious phase. Swedish private equity firm EQT Group is preparing a binding bid to purchase the franchise, and the offer could value the sports property at between $2 billion and $2.1 billion, which would make it one of the rarest properties.
RCB will enter the Indian Premier League 2026 season for the first time as defending champions. They will start their new campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 28. The franchise will face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 5 before playing matches in Guwahati and Mumbai.
United Spirits is close to selling Royal Challengers Bangalore stake
United Spirits Limited, the Indian division of global liquor company Diageo, currently owns the franchise. The parent company had put its stake in Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd for sale last November. The entity controls both the men’s team and women’s team in their respective leagues.
The company described the franchise as a strategic asset but classified it as non-core to its primary beverage business. The entire transaction is expected to be completed by March 31 and control will be officially handed over soon.
Following initial non-binding offers last month, the owners shortlisted around ten serious bidders for the next phase. Adar Poonawala of Serum Institute of India and Ranjan Pai of Manipal Group pioneered this process. They join EQT and Lancer Capital in the race for high-value ownership.
EQT Group preparing binding bid for Royal Challengers Bangalore
Swedish private equity firm EQT Group has joined the race. The European entity is reportedly preparing a binding bid to acquire the team. Financial experts suggest that the offer could value the popular Bengaluru franchise at between $2 billion and $2.1 billion.
If the evaluation is successful it would exceed previous proposals. Avraham Glazer, representing Lancer Capital, has already submitted a non-binding bid of about $1.8 billion. All interested parties are expected to submit their final binding bids before the March 16 deadline.
Foreign investors no longer consider these franchises to be mere vanity projects for celebrities. They regard them as premium sports businesses that offer predictable revenues, deep viewer loyalty and stable sponsorship growth in a highly scalable market.
Royal Challengers Bangalore strengthen their commercial value after historic title
The franchise has maintained its position as a top commercial brand since the league began in 2008. The total value of the team has almost doubled. When the cricket board extended the tournament to 2021, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were valued at $914 million, while Gujarat Titans (GT) were sold for $750 million.
The team’s appeal increased significantly after overcoming its long title drought last year. For the first time, under the leadership of captain Rajat Patidar, the team won its first championship in 2025. They achieved nine wins in the league stage before defeating Punjab Kings in both Qualifier 1 and the Grand Final.
The players will focus on becoming the third team in league history to successfully defend their title, while management will finalize this historic corporate acquisition behind the scenes.
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