A new IPL media rights cycle may still be some distance away, but the conversation around its future direction is already taking shape — and few voices carry more weight than Lalit Modi.
In a recent Instagram video, the IPL Founder laid out his perspective on how the Board of Control for Cricket in India could approach the next media rights auction, offering insights across timing, packaging strategy, bidder landscape, and valuation trajectory.
Packaging strategy could define the next cycle
For Modi, the biggest lever in the upcoming cycle lies in how the rights are structured and sold.
“In my view, they should package the rights individually, that is by different media types, different streaming, whether it’s OTT, digital, satellite television, terrestrial television, mobile rights, and globally, country by country,” Lalit Modi said in an Instagram video, outlining a fragmented, platform-first approach to maximise value.
He added that such a model would align with global trends in sports broadcasting, noting, “I think they should individually market them, actually, if they can, like EPL is doing now, and to a certain extent, Formula 1 is going to start to do.”
The emphasis on unbundling signals a shift away from consolidated deals toward a more granular, market-by-market strategy — one that could unlock incremental revenue streams across geographies and platforms.
Broadcaster and Big Tech interest expected to intensify
On the demand side, Modi expects the next auction to attract widespread participation across both traditional broadcasters and emerging digital players.
“I think anybody and everybody who’s in the broadcasting business would be looking at bidding, or in the mobile business should be looking at bidding,” he said, pointing to the scale and reach of the IPL as a global sports property.
Expanding on that, he added, “I see all the companies, whether it’s Netflix, Meta, or Apple, apart from the new entrants, be looking at it, along with Amazon.”
Alongside global technology platforms, Modi also indicated that established media networks and returning players could shape the competitive landscape. “Of course, there’s ESPN Star Sports. I don’t rule out Sony coming back into the market, but you may never know,” he noted.
The mix of legacy broadcasters and deep-pocketed technology firms suggests a potentially crowded and competitive bidding environment, particularly as streaming platforms continue to expand their live sports ambitions.
Timeline points to early market movement
While the next rights cycle is tied to the 2028 season, Modi believes the process could begin much earlier than expected.
“They have to go to market before the 2028 season, but ideally, I think they will go to market, if I am not mistaken, early next year, probably in the first quarter of 2027,” he said.
An earlier auction window would allow the governing body to capitalise on current market momentum while giving bidders sufficient runway to plan long-term investments.
Growth trajectory suggests another valuation jump
Looking ahead, Modi framed the IPL’s media rights story through its historical growth curve — one that has consistently trended upward since inception.
“And then I said, in 2010, I see every cycle, media rights doubling,” he said, reflecting on the league’s long-term commercial trajectory.
Building on that pattern, he projected continued acceleration in the next cycle, adding, “The media rights have really increased, doubled every time, and so if I look at it today, it’s going to be the next cycle, I don’t see anything less than at least 70-100 percent uptake.”
That outlook reinforces the IPL’s position as one of the fastest-growing media properties in global sport, with future valuations likely to be shaped by both structural packaging decisions and intensifying bidder competition.
As the next cycle approaches, Modi’s blueprint points to a more fragmented, globally competitive, and commercially aggressive rights strategy — one that could once again redefine benchmarks in sports media economics.
