RCB ownership race: What is the link between Kantara movie and possible new buyers of Bengaluru franchise

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), among the most valuable brands in Indian sports, could soon have an owner with a Karnataka connection as Kannada movie production house Hombale Films have reportedly joined the race to buy stakes in the franchise ahead of the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The current owners of RCB, Diageo India, are reportedly on the lookout to sell stakes in the franchise which won its first IPL title earlier this year. Hombale Films, which has previous ties with the franchise, seems to be in line to become one of the owners of RCB.

Who are Hombale Films?

Established in 2012 by Vijay Kiragandur and Chaluve Gowda, Hombale Films has quickly captured the attention of audiences with its blockbuster movies.

Among its biggest blockbusters are KGF and Kantara, both Kannada movies that did immense business not just in Karnataka but all over India.

A Karnataka production house buying stakes in the immensely popular RCB would be a win-win situation for both the parties. However, nothing official has yet come out even though fans continue to speculate.

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Fans have consistently linked Hombale and RCB and recently some social media accounts have even confirmed that the production house will become one of the owners of the franchise. However, as noted above, there is not much official information on the supposed deal.

What is RCB-Hombale Films connection?

Apart from both the entities being based in Karnataka, there is already an established connection between the two. As per reports, RCB have brought Hombale Films on board as their official digital content partner since April 2023.

This connection has also played a big role in the rise of speculation surrounding a deal between the two.

RCB’s current valuation is close to $2 billion (around Rs17,000 crore) with names like Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, Adani Group, JSW Group, and Serum Institute’s Adar Poonawalla interested in buying stakes.

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