ECB contacts NFL owners over Hundred team sales

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has contacted owners of teams successful nan NFL astir imaginable finance successful The Hundred.

Stakes successful nan 8 Hundred teams will beryllium sold later this twelvemonth and investors will beryllium successful spot for nan 2025 season.

The ECB has spoken to each squad proprietor successful nan Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League and will big immoderate willing parties, including those from nan United States, during this year’s tournament, which originates connected Tuesday.

“We person sent a archive and video to immoderate NFL owners to explicate what cricket is,” said ECB head of business operations Vikram Banerjee.

“In position of instrumentality engagement, really they tin build stadia acquisition and bring successful nan adjacent generation, those guys are amazing. We tin bring that blend together.”

The ECB launched The Hundred and its arguable 100-ball format successful 2021, pinch a title of 8 franchises each made up of a men’s and women’s team.

Despite nan upheaval coming done nan income of nan teams, location are nary plans to alteration nan format to T20.

Discussions complete an description from 8 teams person taken place, though immoderate maturation successful nan title would beryllium successful statement pinch TV broadcast deals and Sky person a statement successful spot until nan extremity of nan 2028 season.

In December 2022 nan ECB turned down an connection from Bridgepoint Group to bargain a 75% liking successful nan title and location are presently nary plans for nan governing assemblage to waste nan tournament.

However, stakes successful nan 8 teams will beryllium for waste from September. The hosts of nan 8 teams will beryllium fixed a 51% share, which they tin waste aliases keep, pinch nan remaining 49% successful each squad sold by nan ECB.

Of nan 49% stakes sold, 10% of nan gross will spell to nan recreational crippled successful England and Wales and nan remainder past shared betwixt nan 18 first-class counties and nan Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The 11 non-host counties will get a greater stock of this portion.

The 8 hosts that will get a 51% stock of their clubs are Lord’s (MCC/London Spirit), The Oval (Surrey/Oval Invincibles), Southampton (Hampshire/Southern Brave), Cardiff (Glamorgan/Welsh Fire), Trent Bridge (Nottinghamshire/Trent Rockets), Edgbaston (Warwickshire/Birmingham Phoenix), Old Trafford (Lancashire/Manchester Originals) and Headingley (Yorkshire/Northern Superchargers).

These hosts tin waste each aliases portion of their stake, aliases support it all. If they do sell, 10% of nan proceeds will spell to nan recreational game.

The measurement successful which nan teams are being sold raises nan imaginable of an investor not being capable to bargain a complete aliases controlling stock of immoderate of nan eight.

Venky Mysore, managing head of IPL squad Kolkata Knight Riders, told nan BBC investors will spot this arsenic a “challenge”.

It is understood that astatine slightest 3 of nan 8 hosts are readying connected keeping their 51%, while astatine slightest 2 are looking to waste immoderate of their share.

In return for their investment, caller owners will person nan opportunity to alteration nan names, colours and branding of their teams.

ECB main executive Richard Gould said portion of nan information for trading nan teams was truthful The Hundred could raise nan money to pull nan world’s champion players successful a scenery awash pinch franchise leagues.

The English summertime is facing an expanding situation from Major League Cricket successful nan United States.

“We request to beryllium capable to guarantee our champion men and women players play and we tin pull nan champion overseas players,” said Gould. “If we were to hold excessively overmuch I deliberation others whitethorn extremity up stealing a march connected us.”

Banerjee added that nan 8 teams will not simply beryllium sold to nan highest bidders, explaining that partnerships betwixt hosts and investors are a important facet successful eventual deals.

“I won’t opportunity money is not important, because it is important, but alongside that are nan skillsets that tin support English cricket,” said Banerjee.

“Can we bring successful nan very champion astatine instrumentality engagement, astatine family audiences, integer and societal media, who are nan very champion astatine driving women’s athletics and cricket operations? Can we bring them together successful 1 league, successful 1 place?”