When we talk about an IPL team, the first thing that strikes us is cricket, the players, games and trophies. However, if you look beyond that there is a much larger game being played.
An IPL franchise is no longer just a cricket team that competes for a few weeks each year. It's a commercial venture, a distraction, a way of life and for 300 million fans, it's a part of life.
That raises an interesting question:
What Are IPL Teams Actually Selling to Their Fans? Is it just cricket?
The answer is much more complicated.
Cricket Is Only the Beginning
The IPL has created an immense commercial universe around cricket. A large part of the franchise economics revolves around the broadcasting and media rights, sponsorship, ticketing, licensing and merchandising.
The Stadium experience is also part of the product. When fans see a cricket match, what they are actually buying is an experience of the atmosphere, the noise of the crowd, the players on the field, the entertainment, the feeling of being part of something big and being part of the team they support.
Merchandise extends this beyond the match day. With a jersey on, the fan's relationship to his team lives on even when the match isn't on.
And this is where the IPL begins to resemble contemporary corporate branding.
The franchises have moved away from fighting just for table points.
It is competing for a position in the mind of the customer.
So, Why Do Fans Get So Attached?
Obviously, to see their franchise win the coveted IPL Trophy. But there are also other reasons why fans connect with a team like:
Sometimes it is the player they admire.
Depending on context, it can be the city or region they are based in.
It is sometimes the franchise history. Franchises like Chennai Super Kings(CSK) and Mumbai Indians(MI) have a rich history with 5 IPL Titles each and many records that are unbroken to this day.
Sometimes it is the style of cricket like how the Sunrisers Hyderabad(SRH) which is known for its ultra-aggressive batting in recent years.
And sometimes it is just that the team is more identifiable.
They are often choosing an identity and a brand to associate themselves with. Let's understand this with a small study on one of the franchises in IPL.
How a Cricket Team Turns Into a Brand: Royal Challengers Bengaluru(RCB).
This is perfectly demonstrated by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Beyond the players on the field, RCB has created a distinct brand from its "Play Bold" Identity to its visually appealing aesthetics, extending from only the men's team to a women's team and catchy slogan "Ee Sala Cup Namde".
The franchise has also been venturing into other experiential spaces beyond cricket, like physically consumer-facing projects like the RCB Bar and Cafe and collaborations with The Hombale Films, the producers of blockbuster hits like KGF,Kantara,Salaar, linking the RCB identity with popular entertainment culture.
This matters because it alters how people experience the brand.
You don't have to be watching an RCB match to engage with RCB. The brand can be experienced through product, social channels, entertainment, food & beverage, partners and consumer communities.
The Power of Star Players
The player is another primary aspect of the branding.
Sometimes, the player can become just as identifiable as the franchise or make the franchise identifiable. In the case of RCB, the first person that comes to mind when we associate a player with RCB is Virat Kohli followed by AB De Villiers and Chris Gayle.
This is an interesting connection between player branding and team branding.
A franchise of big names and personalities can generate so much noise even before the first ball is bowled. Each player arrives with their own fans, personality and stories.
When the Story Becomes the Product.
RCB had a campaign of usually being one of the powerhouses in an IPL season yet coming agonizingly close to lifting the trophy and this continued for a long time till 2025, when they finally won the IPL. The expression "Ee Sala Cup Namde" was revered for years, every time RCB came close to claiming its 1st IPL trophy. It became a part of the fan idiom and its chase for glory.
There is a fascinating marketing lesson here.
Typically, repeated failure would undermine a sport brand.
But in RCB's case, the absence of a title became part of the narrative.
Every new season created another question:
Could this finally be the year?
The hope created anticipation.
The anticipation created emotional investment.
The disappointment created another chapter.
And then the next season brought that hope back again.
It wasn't until 2025, after a wait of 18 years, that RCB won its first IPL trophy. And the franchise came out with its Tweet and simply said, RCB won its first IPL crown. And the cliche transformed from a hope into a celebration.
It was the end of the road for some supporters.
So What Are IPL Franchises Really Selling?
And if cricket is just one piece of the puzzle, then what is an IPL team actually selling?
Entertainment.
The match is the main product, but all of the other things surrounding it enhance the experience.
Identity.
A team can resemble a city, personality, culture, style of play or brand of cricket the franchise usually plays.
Belonging.
Fans are united in the sense of belonging and memories. The feeling of participating in the team and being joined with other people in one group creates a sense of belonging for the fans with their franchise they support.
Emotion.
Hope, anticipation, dissatisfaction, comparison and jubilation make the relationship more powerful.
Experience.
From stadiums and merch to digital content and brand collaborations, the franchise can be everywhere and the experience provided by a franchise can massively bring in fans and new supporters to their team.
Conclusion
This is why IPL teams are now perceived more as brands than mere cricket franchises and the team with the highest value doesn't necessarily win. Their commercial value is impacted by what occurs both on and off the pitch.
