USL Explores Sale: Potential New Ownership on the Horizon for Royal Challengers Bengaluru

United Spirits Ltd (USL), the Indian subsidiary of the London-based Diageo, has announced a strategic review of its investment in its fully owned subsidiary, Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd (RCSPL). This subsidiary owns the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team, according to a regulatory filing made by the company on Wednesday.

Praveen Someshwar, the Managing Director & CEO of USL, stated, “RCSPL has been an essential and strategic asset for USL, yet it is not core to our alcohol beverage business.”

He further added, “This initiative underscores USL’s and Diageo’s dedication to consistently evaluate their Indian portfolio to ensure sustained long-term value for all stakeholders, while also considering RCSPL’s best interests.”

The statutory document reveals that RCSPL manages both the men’s and women’s RCB teams, which compete in the Indian Premier League and Women’s Premier League, respectively. Notably, the men’s team clinched the IPL title this year, while the women’s team were crowned champions in 2024.

Speculation about RCB potentially being put up for sale has been abundant since the tragic incident on June 4, where a stampede outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium led to 11 fatalities during the team’s title celebrations.

USL’s strategic review process is anticipated to be concluded by March 31, 2026.

This information was published on November 5, 2025.