Shah Rukh Khan's co-owned Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders "grabs pole position" in an American Appraisal brand valuation report called "On a sticky wicket," according to INDIAN TELEVISION. While many expected that "the latest round of controversies will shake the belief that advertisers and corporates had put in the million dollar cricketing extravaganza, the report is upbeat about the IPL." KKR’s brand value increased from $69M to $86M, while Mumbai Indians was stagnant at $72M. Chennai Super Kings "dropped to number three slot" as its brand value declined to $69M as compared to $72M in '14. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals "were also stagnated at fourth and fifth berth" with $51M and $45M respectively. The report "also depicts that player selection is not just limited to skills and performance but also to the ability of a player to garner sponsorships," case in point being Delhi Daredevils’ acquisition of Yuvraj Singh for a record Rs 160M ($2.5M). The cumulative reach of the IPL increased from 155 million for the '13 edition to 190 million for the '14 edition. The TV reach of IPL "has been consistently growing at a compound annual growth rate" of 10% since the first edition, despite the fact that the IPL’s TV ratings have been consistently falling every year since the first edition suggests the report. In a recent development, the global digital media rights (excluding the U.S. region, which were sold separately to ESPN for an estimated $12.4M for a three-year contract) for the IPL "were sold to a Star Group company" for Rs 302 crores ($48M) for a three-year contract. This represents a 50% increase "in previous deal value" (INDIAN TELEVISION, 4/17).
