Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @iplt20
The financial dynamics of IPL teams reveal notable trends. Each team is assured an equal share of 50% of the central pool, resulting in income growth alongside broadcasting revenue. Despite this revenue increase, player salaries constituted about one-third of teams’ gross revenues in 2022-23.
With the BCCI setting the salary cap, which has risen from ₹20 crore per team in 2008 to ₹100 crore in 2024, the question of fair revenue distribution becomes increasingly relevant.
Moreover, as the broadcasting deal triples BCCI’s income, this gap in revenue distribution becomes even wider.
While the IPL’s business model has been highly profitable for the BCCI and the teams, it has been less so for the players, whose salary increases have not kept pace with the overall growth of the league. This discrepancy raises questions about fair revenue distribution and the potential for future conflicts within the sport’s ecosystem.
Globally, sports leagues have faced similar issues, often resulting in significant adjustments to how revenues are shared with players. The IPL could potentially face its own moment of reckoning as disparities in financial growth continue to emerge.
