BENGALURU: IPL and WPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is up for grabs, with owners United Spirits Ltd (USL), the Diageo-controlled liquor company, expressing its intent to sell the sporting brand.USL said it had already initiated the sale process and was confident of completing the formalities by March 31, 2026.
In a communication to Bombay Stock Exchange Wednesday, USL termed the move a “strategic review of the Investment Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd (RCSPL)”, a wholly owned company of USL, the Indian subsidiary of UK-based Diageo. While announcing the “strategic review”, USL managing director and CEO Praveen Someshwar said the franchise is a “valuable and strategic asset”, but non-core to its alcohol business. The move comes months after Diageo India had publicly dismissed media reports of a possible sale of the RCB franchise as “purely speculative”.
