India, March 26 -- The sale of cricket franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by United Spirits Ltd (USL) almost tops a record $2 billion (Rs 18,776 crore), considering it also includes a Rs 540 crore payout for the Women's Premier League and a 5 per cent commission to the cricket body BCCI by the consortium of buyers, according to sources.

On Tuesday, USL, part of multinational alcoholic beverages company Diageo, announced the sale of its 100 per cent equity stake in Royal Challengers Sports Private Ltd (RCSPL) to a consortium in a Rs 16,660 crore (nearly $1.7 billion) all-cash deal.

The acquiring consortium includes Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures (a private investment platform of David Blitzer, one of...