Mumbai, Oct. 17 -- The value of IPL is estimated to have declined by 8% over the last year - from Rs.82,700 crore to Rs.76,100 crore - on account of mergers in the broadcast space, and the ban on real money gaming. This marks the second successive year of a decline in the T20 league's value, from Rs.92,500 crore in 2023, according to D&P Advisory, which puts out the annual valuation. In its report, titled "Beyond 22 Yards", the company said the drop in value in the IPL ecosystem is due to two major off-field events - merger of broadcast majors Viacom 18 and Disney Star in 2024, reducing competition for media rights, and the ban on companies in the RMG (real money gaming) business which were major sponsors and advertisers. "This one-two punch has created the first sustained downturn in IPL's commercial history, reducing the ecosystem value by nearly Rs.16,400 crore in two years," the report said. The bumper IPL media rights deal for 2023-28 fuelled by competitive bidding between Viacom 18 and Disney Star - they settled for digital and TV rights respectively - was the primary reason for the league's high valuation. The prospects of a monopolised rights market points to the prospect of lower escalation in future auctions. "The valuation dip was interpreted as a plateauing of growth after years of steep climb,"the report's author, N Santosh said. Although the IPL revenue chain is heavily dependent on media rights revenue, the exit of RMG as a sponsorship segment is a significant setback with the league, franchises and broadcaster all affected. The report estimates that the ban on RMG advertising and sponsorship has extinguished Rs.1,500-2,000 crore of annual spend from the IPL ecosystem. The RMG ban also impacts fintech companies (another sponsorship segment) hard - over Rs.10,000 crore worth of UPI transactions came from fantasy gaming. The big four franchises - MI, CSK, RCB and KKR - for their fan base and sponsorship pull continue to dominate on franchise branding charts as per the report. RCB have scaled up the ladder to No.1 following their maiden title win. Five-time winners MI who again had a playoff finish are ranked No.2. CSK and KKR despite a disappointing season come No. 3 and 4. Conversely RR's disappointing season pushes them to last. The report identifies e-sports as an opportunity . "With real-money gaming gone, IPL offers e-sports a rare opening to reach millions of digitally engaged fans. Through co-branded activations, integrated tournaments and live tie-ins, esports can scale visibility. For the league, it will help fill its sponsorship gap.The result is a mutually beneficial partnership that blends audiences, deepens brand interaction, and reinforces the league's role as India's premier entertainment platform," added the report. Some of the franchises agreed "India has always been a hub of innovation and gamification represents the next frontier yet to be fully unlocked. This emerging segment holds immense potential to drive the next wave of growth in sports engagement and holds immense potential to take over the mantle in terms of user engagement," said Satyam Trivedi, CEO, GMR Sports , which co-owns Delhi Capitals. And there are newer advertisers or existing ones that are scaling up their spends. "We are already seeing fintech, fast moving consumer goods and e-commerce step in," said James Howlett, principal, Emerging Media Ventures, the majority owner of Rajasthan Royals. "Each brings a different dynamic: fintech offers transactional engagement, FMCG brings mass consumer connection, and e-commerce platforms see cricket as a conversion funnel."...