Indian Premier League will soon surpass NFL, says Lalit Modi

The creator of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Lalit Modi on April 30 said that the cash-rich league would surpass National Football League (NFL) as the world's top league in any sport.

He said this while speaking to Cricbuzz and opined that the league has become the second-biggest league in the world in terms of value and number one in terms of viewership.

''It won't take much time for IPL in becoming the No.1 league in any sport in the world. It is behind the NFL now, No 2 currently. Going by the rate and speed of the IPL's growth, that day is not too far,'' he added.

He further said that it is amazing to see the IPL grow so fast and become the second-biggest league in the world in terms of value.

''IPL is number one in terms of viewership and the number of youngsters we have seen in the landscape of the country. And that infrastructure has come up across India. That is the byproduct of the IPL's growth,'' he added.

He further recalled his statement in 2009 that the IPL was recession-proof. This statement has proven to be true as the league has continued to thrive despite global economic downturns.

Ever since, IPL started, its value has skyrocketed and its media rights costs have too witnessed a six-fold jump. However, the cash-rich-league is just behind the NFL in terms of value but in terms of viewership, it is no 1.

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