The Launch of the Indian Premier League

It's December 2007 and Lalit Modi has just four months before his newly launched domestic Indian cricket league is to play its first match. Modi, who previously led the marketing committee for the Board of Control for Cricket in India, wants to create a city-based franchise system for cricket modeled on US sports franchises. His league would rely on a fast-paced version of cricket called Twenty20 that limits matches to three hours. Meanwhile, as Modi considered how to structure player compensation and best attract investors, a rival Twenty20 league has begun, backed by the owner of an Indian entertainment group. In this case students consider data relating to the sports and entertainment audience in India, as well as other successful sports franchises, to recommend how the league could create a marketable and sustainable business model.