Sports

Diageo Bought an Indian Cricket Team, Set for $1 Billion Payout

Royal Challengers Bengaluru players celebrate winning the Indian Premier League Twenty20 final in June. — Royal Challengers Bengaluru players celebrate winning the Indian Premier League Twenty20 final in June.
Photographer: Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images

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By Giles Turner and Jennifer Creery

March 25, 2026 at 10:31 AM UTC

London-based spirits maker Diageo Plc is on the verge of a financial windfall — not from a new blockbuster tequila or a surge in premium scotch sales, but from a championship-winning Indian cricket team.

The Indian Premier League’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru was sold Tuesday to Aditya Birla Group, Blackstone, The Times of India Group, and Bolt Ventures for just under $1.8 billion. Diageo could reap more than half of that.