RCB’s brand value to cross $140 million: Qoruz

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory in the Tata IPL 2025 finals after 18 years of wait, seems to be adding one more feather in its cap. According to the latest analysis by influencer marketing intelligence platform Qoruz, the brand value of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is projected to soar past $140 million, positioning the team to emerge as the most valuable IPL franchise in 2025.

In 2024, RCB ranked third on the brand value leaderboard with $117 million, behind Chennai Super Kings ($122M) and Mumbai Indians ($119M). But it had not won the IPL trophy till then. Now, backed by a trophy, RCB is projected to see 20% year-on-year increase in its brand value, and with massive social media boost, the team appears to be moving ahead of its competitors.

Qoruz’s data till June 3, 2025 shows that RCB led the IPL social media buzz with 74,600 mentions by influencers across Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube, far ahead of Mumbai Indians (22,300) and Chennai Super Kings (19,200). RCB’s 16.2% engagement rate too has been the highest among all teams. With the IPL final just concluded, this momentum is expected to surge even further in the coming days, states Qoruz.

Praanesh Bhuvaneswar, co-founder and CEO, Qoruz, said, “After 18 seasons, RCB has finally done it. But here’s what people miss. RCB has been winning off the field for years now. They figured out early that they’re not just a cricket team. They’re a brand; a lifestyle. While most teams show up for two months and then disappear, RCB stayed in the spotlight year-round.”

Bhuvaneswar said that the Puma jersey collaboration made RCB’s march aspirational and RCB Bar and Cafe gave fans a place to belong. RCB Innovation Lab was launched to push India’s sports tech narrative and Hustle by RCB, their fitness content initiative, also indicates how the brand understands community and consistency. “RCB had already created a blueprint for building a fan-first brand in sports. Now with the trophy, they have just connected the last dot,” Bhuvaneswar said.

Qoruz notes that RCB continues to assert its dominance off the field with staggering figures across social media platforms. On Instagram, the team leads the IPL pack with 2.15 crore followers, averaging 48 lakh views per reel and over 3.85 lakh likes per post. With a high engagement rate of 5.80%, RCB’s content is extensively shared making the team one of the most culturally connected sports brands in India.

On YouTube, RCB has over 53 lakh subscribers and a library of 4,000+ videos, spanning behind-the-scenes footage, player stories, and fan content. With an average of 1,80,500 views per video, the team’s long-form storytelling strategy appears to have helped deepen fan engagement beyond just match-day moments, reinforcing RCB’s year-round relevance, according to Qoruz.

Among IPL players, Virat Kohli dominates the conversation with 62,600 influencer mentions so far, followed by Shreyas Iyer (18,500 mentions) and MS Dhoni (13,400 mentions), indicating the cultural weight that Kohli brings to the RCB brand.

In the 48 hours before the final, Qoruz recorded a sharp spike in creator-led content using RCB-related hashtags. Viral posts came from fan pages, cricket creators, as well as meme pages and mainstream influencers. As per Qoruz’s virality index, RCB topped influencer mentions across teams during the playoff stage.

Aditya Gurwara, co-founder and head of brand alliances, Qoruz, said, “What sets RCB apart isn’t just the loyalty of their fans. It’s how that loyalty plays out on social media. It was already the most followed IPL team. Its reels, behind-the-scenes moments, the way the players blend cricket with personality, it’s made them a full-blown digital phenomenon. That kind of brand affinity isn’t built overnight. It’s years of staying consistent, staying real, and staying connected with the fans on social media.”

Qoruz observed a spike in an organic and emotional creator content, fan edits, and viral memes following RCB’s win. The videos such as by Danish Sait, Gurwara said, made players like Virat and AB feel real and human. “The trophy is huge. But RCB was already playing a different game on social media. One that blends culture, content, and community. And now with this win, it’s all coming full circle,” he commented.