RCB plots lifestyle pivot: Puma athleisure scale-up, 12-15 Bar & Cafe outlets under new Birla-Blackstone consortium
CEO Rajesh Menon is reframing Royal Challengers Bengaluru from cricket franchise to lifestyle brand, scaling the Puma athleisure tie-up and rolling out RCB Bar & Cafe to 12-15 outlets, while adding kids wear, formal wear and gaming. The pivot lands as Aditya Birla Group, Blackstone, Times Internet and Bolt Ventures take over ownership.
What happened
Royal Challengers Bengaluru · RCB CEO Rajesh Menon outlines lifestyle brand expansion plans including Puma athleisure tie-up scaling, RCB Bar & Cafe rollout to
Key facts
- Rs 7 crore crowd-control investment
- 33,000 stadium capacity
- 24,000 saleable seats
- 20-25% franchise-level revenue share
- 45-50% media rights share globally
Why this matters
Cricket IP holders are now direct competitors in athleisure and casual dining—expect Puma's rivals to chase IPL franchise tie-ups and existing café chains in tier-1 metros to face a well-capitalized entrant with built-in foot traffic from match-day fandom.
Also reported by
- Forbes India — Same time