RCB gets ‘nothing’ after Bengaluru stampede as Qatar Airways pulls out of sponsorship deal

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru have found new sponsors ahead of IPL 2026, with Qatar Airways stepping down. This comes after RCB owners Diageo confirmed that they were looking to sell the team and expected the process to be completed by March 31, 2026. Incidentally, Qatar Airways stepped down as sponsor after the Bengaluru stampede which occurred after RCB lifted the IPL trophy for the first time where 11 people were left dead and several were injured.

As per reports, smartphone company ‘Nothing’ has replaced Qatar Airways as the sponsor for RCB. The airlines had partnered with the team for two years from 2023-2025 and the partnership between the two was valued at Rs 275 crore. Reports state that Nothing has decided to enter into a partnership with RCB with the aim of expanding their footprint in India.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the Bengaluru stampede, RCB could possibly be forced to find a new home in IPL 2026 as the M Chinnaswamy stadium has been branded unsafe to host big events. Bengaluru was scrapped as a venue for the Women’s World Cup 2025 and hasn’t been short-listed as one for the T20 World Cup 2026 either. Instead, Pune has offered to host RCB’s home games in the upcoming season.

RCB on Sale

In its disclosure, the Diageo said, “the USL is initiating a strategic review of the investment in its wholly owned subsidiary, RCSPL. RCSPL’s business comprises ownership of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise team that participate in the men’s Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) cricket tournaments hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) annually.“