SynopsisRoyal Challengers Bengaluru's brand profile has strengthened after winning its maiden IPL title in 2025 and defending it in 2026. A recent Google study found that RCB was the most searched IPL team in India this season, ahead of Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, highlighting strong fan engagement online.Listen to this article in summarized formatANIAll Metrics show the franchise was driving tv ratings, says CEOMUMBAI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), fresh from back-to-back Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, have emerged as a major driver of television and digital engagement, according to franchise chief executive officer Rajesh Menon, who said the Bengaluru-based team played a disproportionate role in attracting audiences this season."All metrics you see show that RCB was driving TV ratings," Menon told ET. In March, Royal Challengers Bengaluru was bought by a consortium comprising Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India (publishers of The Economic Times), Bolt Ventures and a Blackstone fund for $1.78 billion.Citing data, Menon said RCB featured heavily in the season's biggest matches. "Only 12 matches crossed around 300 million-plus viewers, and RCB played in seven of them," he said. "Only four matches crossed 400 million viewers, and RCB played in all four," adding that "14-15% of total viewership came from RCB."Royal Challengers Bengaluru's brand profile has strengthened after winning its maiden IPL title in 2025 and defending it in 2026. A recent Google study found that RCB was the most searched IPL team in India this season, ahead of Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, highlighting strong fan engagement online.India may play three T20Is against Sri Lanka later this yearThe IPL, now in its 19th edition, has historically seen Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings dominate fan engagement and television audiences, having won five titles each, followed by Kolkata Knight Riders with three.JioStar earlier said IPL 2026 recorded a combined reach of 1.1 billion viewers across television and digital platforms as the tournament entered the playoffs, with digital reach up 15% and watch time rising 7%.Suryakumar Yadav backs Team India after captaincy exit, congratulates Sooryavanshi on maiden call-upMenon attributed RCB's growth to positioning the franchise as a media and entertainment brand rather than only a cricket team. "Modern sports teams are more media businesses," he said. The franchise has invested in content properties such as 12th Man TV, Bold Diaries, podcasts, and the Mr Nags franchise to deepen fan engagement. On monetisation, Menon said merchandising and lifestyle products remain underdeveloped in Indian cricket and have great potential.Menon expects strong growth in the next IPL and Women's Premier League (WPL) media rights cycle, estimating a 40-50% rise in WPL rights and 30-40% growth in IPL rights, with the latter partly driven by a potential increase in the number of matches.Calling the IPL and WPL "gold dust", he said women's cricket could emerge as a major growth driver over the next five years. He also sees opportunities in gaming.JioStar currently holds the media rights for both the IPL and WPL, with the two properties valued at Rs 48,390 crore and Rs 951 crore, respectively, in the current rights cycle from 2023-27.Menon said IPL franchises should consider expanding into other sports in India, arguing that their large fan bases could help grow the broader sporting ecosystem.Read More News on...moreless