Mohit Burman, co-owner of Punjab Kings (PBKS), believes that if you want to compete with the world’s largest sports leagues, such as the NFL, NBA and English Premier League in terms of brand values, you will need to expand the Indian Premier League (IPL) to at least 12-16 weeks.
Currently, the IPL has been running for about eight weeks, and Berman feels that the window is much shorter than international counterparts like the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) leagues in the United States.
The co-owner of PBKS said the English Premier League ran for about 10 months, the NBA ran for seven months, the NFL ran for about 4.5 months, and the long window allowed for more games, fan engagement and stronger sponsorship value.
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Mohit Berman, co-owner of the Punjab Kings, is seeking a 16-week extension window for IPL to compete with the NFL and the NBA
Berman feels that by expanding the IPL window, he can reach the same level of awareness, influence and value. The co-owner of the Punjab Kings pointed out that IPL is already a major player in terms of value per match. At USD 16.8 million per game, the IPL ranks second in the NFL, which is at the top with USD 36.8 million.
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However, IPL is still on the back when it comes to overall brand value. According to investment bank Houlihan Lokey, the total valuation of the IPL is around US$16 billion, not much as the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys are worth US$9 billion.
Other teams like the New York Yankees (US$7.1 billion), the New York Knicks (US$7 billion), and top football clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United (US$6 billion each) have much greater brand value.
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Mohit Burman said PTI: “It’s already second and second in terms of per game value just behind the NFL. But overall brand value is a different game. I think it’s going to take a 12-16 week window to get there.”
The co-owner of the Punjab Kings said, “Fans, sponsors, broadcasters and more will tell better stories, create rivals and give everyone a space to create more value. But it’s not just about the length we are, what we push out, how we engage our fans all year round, how we build a league across the seasons.
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PBKS owners say IPL must grow beyond India without leaving the house
Meanwhile, the co-owner of the Punjab Kings pointed out that the IPL is already the largest cricket league in the world, but it needs to continue evolving to stay at the top. Berman emphasized the importance of player availability, but emphasized that nothing should be taken into consideration for granted. He said the IPL needs a dedicated window that allows top international players to be used without restrictions.
“The fan experience has to continue to evolve,” Berman said, “Not only is it cricket, entertainment and culture all together anymore, it doesn’t have to take IPL overseas. We need to build content, players and stories that connect with fans around the world.”
In particular, the Punjab Kings arrived at the IPL Finals 11 years later under captain Shreiyas Iyer, but lost the trophy to RCB earlier this week.
