Lalit Modi: Untold Story of IPL, Disney, BCCI & Beyond

How do you build a billion dollar sporting empire when nobody believes in your idea? And what happens when the man who built it is pushed out? I travelled to Mykonos, Greece, for an exclusive conversation with Lalit Modi, the man behind the Indian Premier League (IPL). Over nearly two hours, Lalit Modi takes us inside the extraordinary decisions, negotiations and risks that shaped one of the biggest sporting success stories in the world. But the IPL is only one part of his story. Before the IPL, Lalit Modi helped bring Disney and ESPN to Indian television. He negotiated with some of the biggest names in global media, challenged established business models and played a central role in transforming the commercial fortunes of Indian cricket. In this conversation, we explore how the IPL was conceived, why nobody believed it would work, how the billion dollar broadcasting deals came together, and the decisions that changed Indian cricket forever. We also discuss the controversies surrounding his departure from the IPL, the allegations against him, his life outside India and whether he will ever return. This is the story of ambition, risk, power, controversy and the business decisions that helped transform Indian sport and entertainment. Told by the man at the centre of it all. 00:00 Trailer: Lalit Modi: IPL - Before and Beyond 01:58 Dreaming Up the IPL 04:53 The Two Problems That Could Have Killed the IPL 06:22 Taking on India’s Saas Bahu Serials to Build the IPL 09:31 The War With Subhash Chandra for Indian Cricket 12:24 Why Letting the ICL Succeed Was Part of the Plan 14:04 How Brian Lara Inspired the IPL Player Auction 15:44 The 2007 T20 World Cup: Recruiting Players for the IPL 19:38 The Strategy Behind Offering A Porsche For Six Sixes 21:57 Turning India’s World Cup Win Into an 11 Hour Spectacle 25:09 Why India’s Biggest Businessmen Rejected Buying An IPL Team 27:46 The Genius Economics That Made IPL Teams Profitable From Day One 29:42 Betting an Entire Career on the IPL 31:07 Why the IPL Desperately Needed Shah Rukh Khan 32:36 Securing a Billion Dollar Broadcasting Deal Through a Favour 35:40 Finally Convincing Owners to Bid for IPL Teams 37:29 Why Provoking the Media Was Part of the IPL Strategy 40:24 IPL Day One: The Decision That Almost Led to a Lawsuit 43:13 Brendon McCullum’s 158: The Night the IPL Changed Forever 45:04 Bringing Disney to India 47:13 The 127 Trips It Took to Build Disney India 49:36 How Disney Cartoons Took Over Indian Television 52:17 Tricking His Father Into Giving Him More Pocket Money 54:18 Why Disney’s Aladdin Failed in India 56:58 Why Disney Rejected Ramayan and Mahabharat 59:53 The BCCI in the 90s: Clueless About Making Money 1:00:47 Transforming Cricket on Indian Television 1:01:06 Convincing ESPN to Enter India 1:02:51 Why ESPN Needed Cigarette Salesmen to Conquer India 1:06:08 Buying Cricket Rights Across the World 1:08:07 The Cable Operators Who Nearly Destroyed ESPN’s India Dream 1:10:53 Why Disney, ESPN and Star Had to Join Forces 1:11:16 Falling Out With Rupert Murdoch 1:13:01 Why Disney Bought Him Out of His Business 1:14:45 Building Ten Sports After the Fallout With Murdoch 1:16:34 Taking on Rajasthan’s Cricket Establishment 1:18:37 Rising to Power Inside the BCCI 1:20:22 Negotiating Cricket’s Biggest Jersey Deal With Sahara 1:23:10 Convincing Nike to Bid for India’s Jersey Rights 1:24:43 Why Nike Refused to Sponsor the IPL 1:26:04 The Decision to Value Indian Cricket 11 Times Higher 1:28:57 The Broadcasting Deal That Changed the BCCI’s Fortunes 1:30:31 Firing ESPN Star Sports and Rupert Murdoch 1:33:33 The Secret Strategy Behind Subhash Chandra’s BCCI Bid 1:36:02 The Coin Trick That Helped Turn the BCCI Into a Billion Dollar Organisation 1:38:42 The IPL Was Being Run Without Systems or Processes 1:40:17 The Controversial Andrew Flintoff Auction Bid to CSK 1:42:47 Why I Was Removed From the IPL 1:45:05 The Supreme Court Verdict and the Charges Against Me 1:47:51 “I Will Come Back to India” 1:48:22 What Needs to Change About Today’s IPL 1:51:10 Why the IPL’s Broadcasting Model Must Change 1:53:00 My Final Message: “I Will Bid for the IPL” 🎬 Editing Credits: The fantastic Joshua D’Souza from Yehoshua! 🎨 Thumbnail Credits: CCDS Also thanks to AV, PG and SM for being partners in crime through this. you know who you are. Welcome to The Bharat Inc. Subscribe for more extraordinary stories from Indian business, sports and entertainment. Saagar Varma The Bharat Inc Insta:   / thebharatinc   #LalitModi #IPL #rajshamani #beerbiceps #prakhargupta #thesecretsauce #ayushshukla #ankurwarikoo #bcci #disney #thebharatinc #nikhilkamath #wtfpodcast #figuringout