Reportage
The visibility dividend: How associate cricket changed the economics of the game
For decades, cricket's margins existed in silence. Then visibility became a commodity that could be manufactured, and everything changed.
Reportage
Reportage
Royal Challengers Bengaluru attracts $1.8 billion bid as nine parties compete
The State of Play can reveal the complete list of bidders for both franchises as RCB narrows the field and Rajasthan Royals move towards binding bids
Reportage
India-Pakistan: Cricket’s costliest fixture goes missing
Pakistan’s proposed forfeit threatens JioStar’s $900 million tournament and the ICC revenues that fund the global game. Cricket built its economics around a fixture no contract could guarantee.
Reportage
Inside the race to buy RCB and Rajasthan Royals
The race for the two IPL franchises is now down to a handful of serious bidders. Months of exploratory conversations have given way to firmer offers, as buyers begin to confront the numbers and the realities of ownership
Reportage
Inside Unrack’s bet on building elite sports equipment in India
Olympic-grade barbells, coach-led adoption and a market accustomed to buying cheap. Bengaluru-based Unrack is trying to change how Indian sport buys equipment
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Indian football’s impossible restart
How the ISL is attempting to rebuild in 39 days what took a decade to construct
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Inside Ten x You: How Sachin Tendulkar is redesigning the cricket shoe
What happens when India’s greatest cricketer treats footwear as an engineering problem, not an endorsement
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Inside cricket’s $3 billion workaround
JioStar is locked into a $3 billion contract it cannot afford or exit. The workaround will show whether Indian cricket’s decade of growth was sustainable or inflated.
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Rajasthan Royals draw interest in early ownership talks
Krafton is discussing a minority stake, while Adani has been approached about buying control of the IPL franchise
Reportage
Inside Dream Sports’ plan to rebuild after the gaming ban
India’s online real-money gaming ban wiped out Dream11’s profit engine. Next week, the company relaunches as a free-to-play sports app. The State of Play has exclusive details of its plans.
Reportage
Lucknow Super Giants close in on $200 million fund raise
A UK-based investor group is negotiating a 15% stake in the IPL franchise at a $1.3 billion valuation
Reportage
Inside the race for India’s premium endurance market
Hyrox and Ironman have shown that Indians will pay for premium endurance events. The race now is to expand before competitors arrive.