RCB ownership battle heats up as Man United's Glazer said to have bid $1.8 billion

Avram Glazer, the co-owner of Manchester United, is making a bid for Indian Premier League team Royal Challengers Bengaluru, according to people familiar with the matter.

Glazer has submitted a bid for about $1.8 billion for the cricket team, the people said, asking to not be identified because the information is private.

Blackstone Inc., Carlyle Group Inc. and Indian tycoons are among other potential buyers of the franchise, Bloomberg News has reported previously. Diageo Plc is the current owner of Royal Challengers — winner of the T20 IPL cricket tournament last year — and has been seeking to sell part or all of the team at a valuation of as much as $2 billion.


A spokesperson for Diageo declined to comment. Glazer did not respond to a request for comment. The bidders are expected to be narrowed down in the coming weeks.

The Glazer family, which also owns the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has been attempting to make a push into cricket for a number of years. In 2021, Avram Glazer bid for an Indian Premier League expansion franchise, but fell short after winning offers for the new teams reached staggering valuations of approximately $750 million and $950 million.

Glazer pivoted a year later to purchase the Sharjah-based Desert Vipers in the UAE for $30 million, and considered bidding last year for a franchise in English cricket’s The Hundred competition.

Royal Challengers, one the IPL’s founding teams, was initially owned by Vijay Mallya, whose Kingfisher Airlines Ltd. folded in 2012 after failing to pay creditors. Diageo took over the team after buying Mallya’s spirits business.

IPL valuations have continued to climb, with investors betting on continued long-term media growth and international expansion to support multibillion-dollar franchise values. The owner of the Rajasthan Royals is currently considering bids of up to $1.3 billion, Bloomberg reported.

Espncricinfo reported earlier that Avram Glazer was considering a bid.