The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) expects about Rs 1.5 billion in total transactions from the third Nepal Premier League, but that figure is not revenue and not profit. CAN’s projection covers dealings by both the association and the franchises, not money the association keeps. Figures from the first two editions show how far apart those numbers can be. 

CAN Treasurer Padam Bahadur Khadka has put CAN-related transactions at Rs 700 million to Rs 750 million, with the eight franchises expected to spend a similar amount. He also said sponsorships should bring in about Rs 200 million. The third edition began on Monday, October 26, at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur.

What CAN has already sold

According to Nepal News, CAN sold the global digital streaming rights to NetTV and the domestic television rights to Himalaya Television Network. eSewa holds the ticketing rights. The three deals add up to a fixed Rs 335.3 million.

Adding the Rs 200 million sponsorship estimate gives about Rs 535 million. That leaves roughly Rs 165 million to Rs 215 million of the Rs 700–750 million CAN-related estimate unaccounted for in the reporting reviewed. This is our own arithmetic, and CAN has not published a line-by-line breakdown of the estimate.

Last season’s digital deal was reported differently. DishHome bought OTT rights for Nepal and the diaspora, excluding India, for Rs 53 million. The scope of the rights differs, so the two figures are not directly comparable. 

What the first two editions earned and kept

CAN’s published accounts show about Rs 276.9 million in income and Rs 201.5 million in operating expenses for the first edition. The second edition brought in about Rs 473.6 million against Rs 219.6 million in operating expenses.

*Our calculation from the published figures.

Income rose about 71% between the first two editions, while operating expenses rose about 9%. After the franchise share was distributed in the second edition, about Rs 92.1 million remained with CAN. Nepal News stresses this is not the final net profit, because other liabilities still apply and franchises have their own costs.

Measured against the second edition’s Rs 473.6 million income, the Rs 700–750 million estimate would be a rise of roughly 48% to 58%. That comparison is rough, because an estimate of “transactions related to CAN” is not necessarily defined the same way as audited income.

Prize money and franchise economics

The champions will receive Rs 15 million this season, the runners-up Rs 8 million, third place Rs 4 million, and fourth place Rs 3 million. Winners in the first two editions received Rs 11 million. That is about a 36% rise for the title winner. Some coverage describes the increase as 50%, but the figures reported here do not support that.

Prize money is not player pay, and it does not show whether franchises make money. Some franchises have reportedly operated at a loss in earlier seasons. Franchise accounts have not been published in the way CAN’s have. 

The open question: audit and disclosure

CAN President Chatur Bahadur Chand has said the NPL is not a separate legal entity, so its finances fall within CAN’s own audit process. Nepal News reports that questions were raised about delays in publishing the first two editions’ accounts, which CAN has since released. The report is explicit that these questions do not amount to proven irregularities.

The next real test is the third edition’s actual income, expenses, and franchise share, which CAN can only report after the tournament ends.