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[VIDEOS] The Hundred

Derbyshire Head of Cricket, Mickey Arthur, has been appointed as Director of Cricket for The Hundred franchise, Northern Superchargers

Arthur, who will remain with Derbyshire during the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, will undertake the largely hands-off role alongside his duties with the Club, as the Superchargers prepare for the fifth edition of The Hundred this August.

Arthur will advise on recruitment for both the Superchargers’ men’s and women’s teams, as well as providing support to Head Coaches, Andrew Flintoff and Lisa Keightley, through his vast experience.

Arthur said: “Derbyshire remains my primary focus and I’m committed to achieving our goals of bringing success to the Club. We encourage all of our players and coaches to develop their skills in new environments and this is another example of that.

“As a Club, our personnel are in demand and that’s a testament to the work being done behind the scenes, and we are confident results will soon come on-field.”

Chief Executive, Ryan Duckett, added: “Mickey remains fully-committed to Derbyshire, he lives and breathes the Club and we hope that he can use this opportunity to showcase the quality Derbyshire has.

“It’s been a positive winter, with Mickey, Wayne [Madsen] and Zak [Chappell] lifting silverware overseas, while Harry Moore and Pat Brown have represented us within the England setup recently.

“Our squad has been working hard over the winter, and this will ramp up even further over the next couple of months to give us the best possible chance of success in 2025, with an exciting summer ahead.”
 
Landmark Hundred sales move step closer

A landmark moment for English cricket will move a step closer on Thursday as the final stage of the sale of teams in The Hundred begins.

With fixtures for the 2025 season announced on Wednesday, a day later Oval Invincibles and Birmingham Phoenix will become the first two of the eight franchises matched to preferred investors.

The other six teams will follow suit in the coming days, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) set to announce the eight successful investors next week.

Owners of Premier League football clubs and Indian Premier League (IPL) teams, along with figures from technology and entertainment, are among those vying for a stake.

Preferred bidders will then have an eight-week exclusivity period in which to finalise a deal with a franchise, meaning the sale process will officially be completed in the late spring.

The 2025 season begins with a London derby, with London Spirit hosting Oval Invincibles at Lord's on 5 August. The final of the fifth staging of the competition will take place on the same ground on 31 August.

What is happening?

The ECB confirmed its intention to sell stakes in the eight Hundred teams last May. Raine Group – the bank that oversaw the sales of football clubs Manchester United and Chelsea – has been in charge of the process.

Although the teams are being sold, the ECB will retain ownership of the competition itself, having rejected a bid for the tournament from Bridgepoint Capital in 2022.

The sales, expected to generate hundreds of millions of pounds, are designed to safeguard the financial future of an English game badly in need of investment.

ECB director of business operations Vikram Banerjee told BBC Sport: "It's a really exciting moment. It's an opportunity for us to learn from other sports that have done it, and done it really well. I do think this will help the whole game grow at quite a rate."

Still, The Hundred is a highly divisive presence in English cricket, with some supporters believing it detracts from other, more traditional, forms of the game.

In order to make space for The Hundred, there is almost no international cricket in August of this year.

Some are concerned that inviting outside investment is tantamount to a 'privatisation' of part of the summer and will lead to The Hundred taking up more room in the schedule.

The ECB is adamant it will retain control of the competition and the earliest any expansion could come is at the end of the current broadcast deal with Sky in 2028.

What is being sold and where will the money go?

The hosts of the eight teams have been given a 51% stake in their franchise, which they can sell or keep, with the ECB then selling the remaining 49%.

The eight hosts are Lord's (Marylebone Cricket Club (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).

Of the 51% the hosts have been given, they can keep all, or choose to sell all or part of their stake. Some, like Surrey and Warwickshire, want to keep their entire stake, while others - such as Lancashire - are open to selling some of it and Yorkshire may opt to sell all of theirs.

From the total money raised, 10% will go straight to the recreational game. Proceeds from the 49% sales will be divided between the 18 first-class counties and the MCC. If a host decides to sell part or all of its stake, it will hand over 10% of what it receives to be divided between the 18 counties and MCC.

Who is buying?

The ECB said it had initial interest from more than 100 potential buyers, a number that has gradually been whittled down to around 15 bidders.

Between two and four bidders have been shortlisted for each franchise. Some investors are on the shortlist for more than one franchise, so if they miss out on their first choice, they may be successful elsewhere.

Links to the IPL are inevitable, given the investment already made in leagues across the world. The co-owners of Delhi Capitals finalised a takeover of county club Hampshire in September and, as a result, are on course to secure sole ownership of Southern Brave.

Lancashire have been open about their desire to partner Manchester Originals alongside an IPL team, with the owners of the Mumbai Indians and the Lucknow Super Giants thought to be in the running, alongside US investors.

However, the ECB has been keen to secure investment from a range of sources and some Hundred franchises are keen to avoid an IPL link, primarily to guard against interference in cricketing matters.

Oval Invincibles, for example, could be partnered with a consortium of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, or the private investment firm CVC, which is thought to have made it through to the final round of the auction.

Todd Boehly, a shareholder in Chelsea, and members of the Glazer family, co-owners of Manchester United, are reportedly among those interested in acquiring a stake in London Spirit.

"We are looking to create the blend of the best eight partners that can help the tournament grow and also use this process to raise funds that will create financially sustainable gain for a generation to come," said Banerjee.

"We've got a real variety in our shortlist. It's a really exciting moment. I do think this will help the whole game grow at quite a rate."

There has been some controversy, however. In September, IPL founder Lalit Modi leaked financial projections linked to the sale on social media, including predictions about future deals for TV rights which he called "disconnected from reality... dangerously overambitious and unsustainable".

On Tuesday, the ECB responded to a report claiming that some prospective investors were frustrated with the sales process, defending it as "thorough and rigorous" in a statement.

The governing body also insisted that host venues had decided on shortlists of potential partners "based on who they would like to work with, not making purely financial decisions".

What will change?

One key aim for the ECB is to attract more of the top men's players to The Hundred, which competes against leagues in the US and Caribbean in a crowded part of the calendar. Investment should aid this goal by making possible the offer of higher salaries.

Though pay for the top men's players is increasing from £125,000 to £200,000 in 2025, the sales will be completed too late for any other significant changes to be implemented this year.

The ECB sees the upcoming season as "transitional", with more tangible changes in 2026. These could include team names, colours and branding being altered.

In 2025, the London derby means the defending champions in the men's and women's competitions, the Invincibles and Spirit respectively, are in action on the opening day.

As in previous years, the Eliminator contest between the teams that finish second and third in the table will take place the day before the final at The Oval with no reserve day. The final does have the provision of a reserve day.

SOURCE: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/articles/c8edyly4ndyo
 
ECB accused of ‘selling family silver’ as Hundred auction starts with Invincibles

The ECB has been accused of “selling the family silver and cricket’s soul” rather than taking “strategic decisions” by one of the bidders in the Hundred auction, which begins on Thursday.

The Oval Invincibles is the first franchise up for grabs when the final round of bidding starts with a live online auction at 1.30pm, with Birmingham Phoenix to be sold via sealed bids later in the day.

The Guardian has been told that there are 11 bidders left in the race to buy the eight franchises, although with losing bidders permitted to re-enter and make offers for another franchise the ECB is hopeful there will be sufficient competition to raise around £500m, which will be allocated to the counties and grassroots cricket.

Several Indian Premier League owners withdrew following the first two rounds of bidding, however, while some of those still involved have misgivings over the process. Franchises will be sold to the highest bidder irrespective of the wishes of the host venue, who could end up disappointed with the identity of their new partners.

“It feels like the ECB are selling the family silver and cricket’s soul for a quick financial hit, rather than taking strategic decisions,” said a source involved in one bidding team. “Some of the smartest and wealthiest investors in the world have spent three months talking to the counties to try to build relationships and create a partnership, but in the end it will just come down to who bids most. It’s insane.

“We should all be working together for the long-term benefit of English cricket, but that’s not happening. The whole process is a lottery.”

The ECB defended what the governing body described as a “thorough and rigorous process”, and claimed it was not simply a case of the highest bidder winning, as some of the more lucrative offers in the opening two rounds of bidding were overlooked.

A source in another bidding team was also more philosophical, saying that while the process had been lengthy and complex, they expected it to result in eight good new owners and unparalleled riches for English cricket.

The ECB is selling off 49% stakes in the eight Hundred teams to the highest bidder, with the remaining 51% to be given to the host venues, who may then choose to sell it on.

The two London franchises based at Lord’s and the Oval have attracted the most interest and the biggest names. Manchester United and Chelsea part-owners, respectively Avram Glazer and Todd Boehly, are among four different groups bidding for London Spirit, while Asia’s richest family, the Ambanis, are in a three-way battle for Oval Invincibles.

Valuations of the eight franchises vary considerably after the host venues finalised their shortlist of bidders and the ECB is operating a two-speed auction. Those franchises which have attracted more than two final-round bids will be sold via a live online auction, whereas prospective franchise owners left in a two-horse race will be asked to submit their best offer in a sealed bid.

The Oval Invincibles auction will be competitive, with the Ambanis up against private equity firm CVC Capital Partners and a Silicon Valley consortium including the chief executives of Google and Microsoft, Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella.

Sources at the Oval have indicated that they would prefer to partner with the US tech group in the belief it would enable them to able to retain control of the cricket operation. In contrast it is perceived that the Ambanis would be hands-on, as they already run the hugely successful Mumbai Indians global franchise, but in the end it will come down to the highest bidder.

In a sign it may be hedging its bets, CVC is also interested in Birmingham Phoenix, which will also be sold on day one. Birmingham City’s owners, Knighthead Capital, are also expected to bid.

The centrepiece of day two on Friday will be the sale of London Spirit which, based on non-binding bids placed in the first two days, will be the most expensive franchise, with a valuation of up to £150m.

As regular visitors to Lord’s, the Ambanis were involved in the early rounds of bidding, but following discussions with the Marylebone Cricket Club they did not make the shortlist, a significant surprise which may be explained by the MCC’s desire to retain control.

Instead the MCC shortlisted four groups: Glazer’s Lancer Capital, which owns the Desert Vipers in the UAE’s International League T20; Cain International with funding from Boehly and his fellow Chelsea director, Jonathan Goldstein; Lucknow Super Giants owner, Sanjiv Goenka, and the Silicon Valley group, as long as it does not buy Oval Invincibles the previous day.

Day two will conclude with the auction of Welsh Fire, who despite poor performances on the field and disappointing crowds in Cardiff during the first five years of the Hundred have attracted two bidders, Indian investment firm Capri International and Sanjay Govil, owner of the Washington Freedom franchise in Major League Cricket. Wrexham’s owners, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, held talks with the ECB but have not followed up their initial interest.

The ECB and its financial advisers, the Raine Group, deliberately opted to stage the auction over a weekend after running through different scenarios, giving losing bidders time to regroup in the hope they will bid again next week when Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Trent Rockets and finally Southern Brave go under the virtual hammer.

The Ambanis and Lucknow retain an interest in Old Trafford-based Originals and are likely to bid again if they are unsuccessful in London, while Washington Freedom are also in for Trent Rockets, along with IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The Sunrisers’ prime target is thought to be the Northern Superchargers, while it is viewed as an inevitability that Southern Brave will be bought by Delhi Capitals’ part-owners GMR Group, who completed a 100% takeover of host venue Hampshire last year.

The Southern Brave auction is the one that has caused most problems for the ECB due to concerns it will be sold on the cheap, and has been held back until last in an attempt to drive competition.

While news of successful bids is likely to emerge over the next few days the ECB is not planning to make any formal announcements until the process is concluded.

Completing the partnership agreements between host venues and the new investors is expected to take several months, so there will be no noticeable difference in the Hundred this summer.

From next year, however, new team names, kits and most significantly bigger budgets and more star players will all be on the agenda.

SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...-hundred-auction-starts-with-oval-invincibles
 
When is the auction? Can’t wait for the annual RizBar embarrassment of entering the draft to not be picked :ROFLMAO:
 
Rana said:
When is the auction? Can’t wait for the annual RizBar embarrassment of entering the draft to not be picked :ROFLMAO:
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What has Rizbar got to do with ECB selling franchises to IPL owners?
 

Ambanis’ Mumbai Indians clinch deal for 49% stake in Oval Invincibles​


India’s richest family has clinched a landmark deal to buy a 49% stake in the Oval Invincibles in a deal that will unite the London-based team with the ownership of the Indian Premier League’s Mumbai Indians.

Sky News can exclusively reveal that the Ambani family, which has a fortune estimated to be tens of billions of dollars, triumphed in a live three-way auction conducted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday.

The price that the Ambanis agreed to pay for the ECB stake was unclear, although sources said it was understood to have valued 100% of Oval Invincibles at approximately £125m.

If that price is confirmed, the roughly £60m accruing to the ECB would set a benchmark for the sale of the governing body's stakes in the remaining seven teams to be conducted over the next week.

The Mumbai Indians' owners triumphed after competing against a group of technology billionaires including the bosses of Google and Microsoft.

CVC Capital Partners, the private equity firm which has been a prolific investor in elite sport ranging from Formula One to volleyball, was also slated to take part in the auction.

The outcome, which may not be formally announced until next week, will see the Ambanis emerge among the most powerful stakeholders in English cricket.

One insider said the Mumbai Indians would gain significant governance rights over the cricketing aspects of the Oval Invincibles team.

The Oval Invincibles' men's team, captained by Sam Curran and featuring England internationals such as Gus Atkinson, is expected to fetch the second-highest price of any of the teams, behind Lords-based London Spirit, which will see the ECB's stake sold on Friday.

The tech billionaire consortium will also take part in that process.

Bidders in auctions with at least three participants are able to submit binding offers at 15-minute intervals, and in increments of at least £3m.

Birmingham Phoenix is next on the block, with its auction scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Losing bidders in each franchise may be given the opportunity to participate in the remaining processes, although the mechanics of such a scenario were unclear on Wednesday.

The other remaining bidders for London Spirit are a vehicle controlled by Todd Boehly, a shareholder in Chelsea Football Club; members of the Manchester United-owning Glazer family; and RPSG Group, the owner of the Indian Premier League team Lucknow Super Giants.

For franchises with only two shortlisted bidders, the auction will involve a straightforward sealed bid shootout.

The London Spirit franchise is expected to be valued at more than £140m, meaning the proceeds to be received and distributed by the ECB would be at least £70m, the insiders added.

In total, the ECB has indicated that the eight teams could be worth in the region of £350m, although there are hopes that that figure will be exceeded.

The proceeds will be distributed between the hosts, non-host counties and the grassroots game.

Host counties are also allowed to sell their 51% shareholdings, although some have said they do not intend to do so.

The MCC, which controls the London Spirit franchise, does not intend to offload any of its stake at this point, according to cricket insiders.

Investors will only be allowed to own a stake in one of the eight teams, which also include Welsh Fire, Southern Brave and the Northern Superchargers.

A bigger-than-expected windfall from the process could offer a financial lifeline to a number of cash-strapped counties, with part of the proceeds likely to be used to pay down debt.

Concerns have been raised, however, that windfalls from the Hundred auction will not deliver a meaningful improvement in counties' long-term financial sustainability.

The outcome of the Hundred auction is also likely to intensify other searching questions about the future of cricket, as the Test format of the game struggles for international commercial relevance against shorter-length competition.

The Hundred auction is being handled by bankers at Raine Group, the same firm which oversaw the sale of large stakes in both Manchester United and Chelsea in recent years.

The ECB declined to comment on Thursday, while the participants in the Oval Invincibles process could not be reached for comment.

news.sky.com

Ambanis' Mumbai Indians clinch deal for 49% stake in Oval Invincibles

India's Ambani family has sealed a landmark agreement to become the first external shareholder in one of English cricket's eight Hundred franchises, Sky News can exclusively reveal.
news.sky.com news.sky.com
 
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The stake in London Spirit has just been sold that puts it's total value at $366mn. For context according to reports last year that's triple the highest valued IPL franchise in CSK that was valued at $122mn.
 
HitWicket said:
The stake in London Spirit has just been sold that puts it's total value at $366mn. For context according to reports last year that's triple the highest valued IPL franchise in CSK that was valued at $122mn.
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That's another half truth or half lie.

Forbes in 2022 valued CSK at 1.2bn usd.

www.forbes.com

Indian Premier League Valuations: Cricket Now Has A Place Among World’s Most Valuable Sports Teams

Franchise values in the world’s top cricket league are surging, outpacing the growth in even the NFL and the NBA.
www.forbes.com www.forbes.com

Most IPL teams are valued in excess of 1bn USD.

For the purpose of bidding

RPSG bought Lucknow team for $950mn and CVC bought Gujarat for $750mn in 2021.

$122mn is brand value of CSK.
 
Why no british pakistani is bidding for these teams in the hundred?

4 Indians from silicon valley just bought london spirit team.
 
sweep_shot said:
They have hijacked world cricket.

Other cricket boards are also naively allowing it. They are chasing short-term profits and overlooking long-term damages.
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This is crazy TBH... Indian can buy anything they want but will they close the door for their rival countries also??? this is not fair... Let's see what happens.
 
Silicon Valley billionaires splurge £144m on London Spirit in Hundred auction

The Hundred is set to deliver an eye-watering windfall for English cricket that exceeds all projections after a Silicon Valley consortium featuring the chief executives of Microsoft and Google claimed a 49% share in London Spirit for £144m.

It was the first of two sales to take place on Friday afternoon, with a 49% stake in Cardiff-based Welsh Fire later sold for a reported £35m. The England and Wales Cricket Board has now raised around £279m after similar stakes in Oval Invincibles (£60m) and Birmingham Phoenix (£40m) were claimed 24 hours earlier.

With four teams still to be auctioned off, the ECB is now on course to far exceed a combined target of £350m for its eight 49% stakes. The money raised is due to be shared among the 18 first-class counties, Marylebone Cricket Club and the recreational game, with host venues able to sell their remaining 51% if desired.

Defending champions in the women’s Hundred, but bottom feeders in three of the four men’s tournaments to date, London Spirit were always likely to attract the highest amount of interest given the prestige of co-owning teams that play home fixtures at Lord’s.

However, an overall valuation of £295m has still surpassed all expectations. After a three-hour auction – “a battle of the egos” according to one insider – the consortium led by Nikesh Arora, chief executive of cyber-security firm Palo Alto, prevailed.

This group, which also features Sundar Pichai (Google), Satya Nadella (Microsoft) and Shantanu Narayen (Adobe), will now begin a period of exclusivity with MCC to finalise the deal. They beat competition from Sanjiv Goenka, owner of Lucknow Super Giants, Avram Glazer’s Lancer Capital, and Cain International, led by Chelsea director Jonathan Goldstein and backed by the club’s joint-owner, Todd Boehly.

There will likely be a knock-on effect, with those who missed out still able to bid for stakes in the remaining teams. Goenka, who was tipped as favourite for the stake in London Spirit, only to finish runner-up, is now expected to turn his attention to Manchester Originals. If so, it could see a target of £100m for 49% of the Originals similarly surpassed when it is auctioned on Monday.

Of the first four teams sold, just one, Oval Invincibles, has returned a partner from the Indian Premier League. Reliance, owners of Mumbai Indians and run by the Ambani family, secured that stake on Thursday, with Birmingham City investors Knighthead claiming the right to buy 49% of Birmingham Phoenix later that day.

The ECB’s stake in Welsh Fire, the process for which was delayed by the bidding war for the right to partner with MCC, went to Sanjay Govil, a tech entrepreneur who also owns Washington Freedom in the USA’s Major League Cricket. It sees the franchise valued at £70m, the lowest of the four to date.

This year’s edition of the Hundred is expected to remain largely unchanged, with the impact of the new ownership model due to be felt from 2026 onwards. In some cases, it is likely to see fresh team names and colours introduced.

SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...m-on-london-spirit-in-hundred-cricket-auction
 
I don't think the hundred will be a dead duck, but what are your thoughts?

PcZPNTH.png
 
Huge sums paid. They must know something I don't about cricket in England.It’s dying away in front of our eyes
 
This is about control. MI now owns teams across almost every major league. RPSG is going the same way. The tech billionaires from silicon valley along with Gajwani now control 2 franchisees and may go for more in IPL and elsewhere. Other IPL owners have teams in other leagues too.

Together these guys now control a large part of the cricketing economy.

Boards will now have to listen to them.
Bewal Express said:
Huge sums paid. They must know something I don't about cricket in England.It’s dying away in front of our eyes
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Rana said:
They will buy some BPl franchise to make Bobsy the king or Rizzu Symonds as their platinum player
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On a serious note, if pakistanis are not going to put their money where their mouth is, they are going to lose more ground.

Already pakistanis are out of IPL and SA20. Only one team buys pakistanis in ilt20.

India based owners of the hundred are unlikely to buy pakistanis players.

The entire ecosystem is shrinking.
 
In the end it's looking like u have to be Indian origin or Indian to control the franchise league.
 
cricketjoshila said:
This is about control. MI now owns teams across almost every major league. RPSG is going the same way. The tech billionaires from silicon valley along with Gajwani now control 2 franchisees and may go for more in IPL and elsewhere. Other IPL owners have teams in other leagues too.

Together these guys now control a large part of the cricketing economy.

Boards will now have to listen to them.
Click to expand...
Good luck to them. There is no point me riling against franchise cricket, its a fact. But I still think silly sums are being paid and the payback period will be decades. The model they use to value these franchises are in my opinion highly flawed. They are based on the IPL( huge IND market), EPL with brands a over a. 100 years old and the the American Sports with brands nearly a 100 years old.
 
Yorkshire sell entire Hundred stake as Sunrisers invest

Yorkshire have become the first team to sell their entire stake in a Hundred team.

The Sun Group, owners of Indian Premier League side Sunrisers Hyderabad, have paid just over £100m for a 100% stake in Northern Superchargers, who are based at Yorkshire's home Headingley.

Superchargers are the sixth team to secure the investment, with the Sun Group the first to take full ownership of a franchise.

Last week Surrey negotiated a £60m price with the owners of Mumbai Indians for a 49% stake in the Oval Invincibles, while keeping the 51% given to them by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Warwickshire agreed a 49% sale of Birmingham Phoenix to Birmingham City owners Knighthead Capital for £40m and Glamorgan sold the same stake in Welsh Fire to IT entrepreneur Sanjay Govil for £40m.

A price of £145m for 49% of Lord's-based London Spirit was agreed between MCC and a Silicon Valley consortium led by Nikesh Arora, while Lancashire became the first county to sell part of their share when agreeing a deal for 70% of the Originals with the owners of Lucknow Super Giants for around £81m.

Nottinghamshire are also set to sell a 49% stake in Trent Rockets.

Billionaire Greek shipping magnate Evangelos Marinakis, who owns Nottingham Forest, was linked with a bid for the Rockets last year.

However, a source close to the deal said Marinakis did not follow up on his initial interest in the Trent Bridge-based franchise.

Nottinghamshire have not publicly courted bids from the IPL, but at least one unnamed team are said to be interested.

Southern Brave are likely to go to the co-owners of Delhi Capitals after their buyout of hosts Hampshire.

The six sales so far come to a total of around £466m, the majority of which will be split among the 18 first-class counties, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and recreational game.

It means value of the six teams in their entirety comes to around £740m.

Yorkshire's sale comes after chair Colin Graves said the club, which is owned by members, must become a private structure in order to survive a financial crisis.

It owes almost £15m to the Graves family trust.

All deals now enter an eight-week exclusivity period in order to finalise the partnerships.

The Sun Group also own Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the South African T20 league, the SA20.


BBC
 
Surrey to preserve majority stake in Oval Invincibles as negotiations with Reliance commence

Subsequent to January's equity sale of teams comprising The Hundred, it has been confirmed by Surrey that they will be retaining a majority stake in the defending champions of the men's competition and the semi-finalists of the women's competition, Oval Invincibles. Deliberations with the owner of Mumbai Indians, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) have already commenced.

After valuing the most successful team across genders in the tournament's four-year history, RIL clinched a 49% share of the franchise during a live auction held on January 30. The Invincibles were valued at £123 million. As a result, this means that they are expected to pay just over £60 million at the end of 2025 after the transfer from the England and Wales Cricket Board to the Surrey County Cricket Club is implemented via Reliance's subsidiary, RISE Worldwide.

Mumbai Indians are widely recognised as the most powerful franchise in the history of the Indian Premier League. They are the five-time winners of the cash-rich league. On the other hand, Surrey are by far the richest English county club. The men's and women's sides of the Invincibles will become the sixth and seventh teams connected with RIL. As of now, the five sides are Mumbai Indians (in both the IPL and the WPL), MI Cape Town (SA20), MI Emirates (ILT20), and MI New York (MLC).


www.crictracker.com

Surrey to preserve majority stake in Oval Invincibles as negotiations with Reliance commence

Cricket News: Surrey have disclosed that will own controlling stake in the Oval Invincible franchise while their partner Reliance will own a minority share. Read more on CricTracker.
www.crictracker.com www.crictracker.com
 

GMR agree deal for Southern Brave to conclude Hundred sell-off​


GMR Group have, as expected, secured a stake in Southern Brave to conclude the ECB's process of selling equity in the Hundred. GMR, co-owners of IPL team Delhi Capitals, were already the majority shareholders of host county Hampshire, having bought out former owner Rod Bransgrove last year.

It brings the number of Hundred teams bought into by IPL owners to four, after Northern Superchargers (Sun Group), Manchester Originals (RPSG Group) and Oval Invincibles (Reliance). The ECB's hopes for a spread of investment from around the world had already been realised by deals for Birmingham Phoenix (Knighthead Capital), Welsh Fire (Sanjay Govil), London Spirit (Silicon Valley consortium) and Trent Rockets (Cain International).

www.espn.in

GMR agree deal for Southern Brave to conclude Hundred sell-off

Glamorgan to sell extra 1% shareholding to Govil as Hundred windfall approaches £1 billion | ESPN.in
www.espn.in www.espn.in
 
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English cricket gets ‘seminal moment’ by raising $650M from selling franchises in The Hundred​


English cricket has generated more than 520 million pounds ($650 million) from the sale of stakes in franchises in its recently created competition The Hundred to big-business investors from India and the United States.

Auctions held over the past two weeks drew bids that value the eight teams in The Hundred at more than $1.2 billion, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Thursday.

The investors who secured deals range from Silicon Valley tech giants, to a consortium containing NFL great Tom Brady, to another involving Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly, to four Indian conglomerates already owning franchises in the widely popular Indian Premier League.

The ECB said the deals, once finalized after an exclusivity period, will underpin “long-term financial sustainability” in the domestic game in England after years of economic struggles.

ECB chairman Richard Thompson called it a “seminal moment for cricket in England and Wales.”

“Our three overarching principles as we look at what we want this investment to deliver should be strategic, ambitious and leaving a legacy,” Thompson said in an open letter. “We may not get this chance again for at least a generation, and cannot afford to waste this golden opportunity.”

Thompson spoke of the money heading to “three core investment areas”: Building reserves, revenue generation or debt reduction.

“Each of these partners shares a passion for the competition’s success and cricket itself,” Thompson said. “They are global leaders in sport, technology, investment, and commerce, aligned in our ambition to continue building The Hundred as a truly world-class sporting spectacle.”

The Hundred — a competition similar to T20 but where teams receive 100 balls in an innings — was launched in 2021 in the face of criticism for disrupting the domestic calendar, affecting the longer formats of the game, chiefly test cricket, and leaving at a disadvantage those among the 18 first-class counties who were not affiliated to a franchise.

Those 18 counties will now be getting a share of the money raised from the auction, as well as Marylebone Cricket Club — which owns the storied Lord’s ground in northwest London and is regarded as the guardian of the laws of the game — and the grassroots game, which the ECB said was in line to receive around 50 million pounds ($62 million).

apnews.com

English cricket gets 'seminal moment' by raising $650M from selling franchises in The Hundred

English cricket has generated more than 520 million pounds ($650 million) from the sale of stakes in franchises in its recently created competition The Hundred to big-business investors from India and the United States.
apnews.com apnews.com
 

Future Hundred expansion a 'no brainer' - ECB​


Expansion of The Hundred to include more teams would be a "no brainer", according to the man who has overseen sales of stakes in the eight existing franchises.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the eight current teams have achieved a collective value of over £975m, with sales of shares bringing in around £520m to be split across the game in this country.

No further teams will be added before the conclusion of the ECB's current broadcast deal with Sky at the end of the 2028 season.

Vikram Banerjee, the ECB's director of business operations, said: "Expansion is a good sign if it happens, so I'll be delighted if it does.

"We've still got a lot of hard work to make sure the tournament grows. If the tournament grows and cricket grows across the country, then it'll be almost a no brainer."

The process of selling stakes in the eight teams began in September and concluded on Wednesday. The ECB has retained control of the competition itself.

Banerjee explained that any expansion of The Hundred would be determined by the financial benefit, having the depth of players for a ninth or 10th team and securing suitable venues. Durham's Chester-le-Street and a ground in the south-west, Somerset or Gloucestershire, would seem the most likely candidates.

ECB chief executive Richard Gould told BBC Sport: "Most tournaments of this type seek expansion at some point and when that happens it is on the basis of success. If that is a natural element of this success we are hoping to drive, great."

Addressing concerns that The Hundred would not take up any more of the schedule than its current month-long period in the school summer holidays, Gould said: "There is a set window within which the competition is played."

Given the current format includes each team playing eight group matches - six opponents once and their nearest rivals twice - expanding to nine teams playing each other once would not greatly inflate the number of games played, supporting Gould's assertion that it is possible to grow The Hundred within the current window.

However, growth to 10 teams could lead to 13 more group games than the current schedule if each team played one another once.

Any alteration to the structure of the domestic summer would need approval of two-thirds of the 18 first-class counties.

Of the £520m to be spread throughout the game, around £52m will go to the recreational game, and the rest shared between the counties and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). The 11 counties that do no host a Hundred team will receive a greater share.

Gould explained the money will be used to "clear off expensive debt and create reserves - Covid wiped out a lot of cash".

He added: "The bulk of the investment will go into player pathway, stadium improvements, customer experience, all those sorts of things."

Addressing concerns that the cash injection is a one-off and non-host counties will be cut adrift when the money is eventually spent, he said: "I don't think the money will or should run out, if it's invested properly.

"I'm hoping this is a legacy that will continue because the money will not be spent, it will be invested."

Investors will agree a minimum five-year period for which they are attached to their Hundred team. Some are paying their money up front, while others are staggering payments over a maximum five-year period.

One return on the investment will be a split of 80% of future broadcast deals, with The Hundred set to be sold separately from the rest of cricket played in England and Wales.

In terms of broadcast rights, Gould said the overseas TV market is "very important", especially as almost all of the Hundred investment has come from India and the USA. On the question of whether the competition would change to a T20 format in order to fall in line with other major franchise leagues, Gould said it was "not a raging debate".

As well as bringing money into the game, the ECB hopes the investment will improve the quality and profile of the men's Hundred through increased player salaries.

In 2023, the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket recommended equal salaries for men and women in The Hundred by 2025, which will not be met.

This year, the highest men's salary bracket of £200,000 is £135,000 higher than the top women's of £65,000, while at the bottom of the seven pay bands there is a £21,000 difference between the £31,000 of the men and £10,000 of the women.

On Wednesday, incoming Professional Cricketers' Association chair Oliver Hannon-Dalby called the disparity "not fair" and "not right".

When asked if the investment would being salary parity, Gould said: "I think it will help to accelerate the process. There are market conditions in play that will ultimately affect how these things play out.

"We want to commercialise the women's game and bring it up to the same level as the men's game. Perhaps we should be even more ambitious than that."

www.bbc.com

The Hundred: Future expansion a 'no brainer', says the ECB

Expansion of The Hundred to include more teams would be a "no brainer", according to the man who has overseen sales of stakes in the eight existing franchises.
www.bbc.com
 
Steve Smith, Meg Lanning, Megan Schutt and Rashid Khan join The Hundred

Twelve Direct Signings have been confirmed on Deadline Day in The Hundred, with the eight teams finalising their retentions and forming their squads ahead of The Hundred Draft on 12 March.

The list of international stars joining the competition is stronger than ever, with Australia’s Steve Smith, Megan Schutt, Meg Lanning and Marcus Stoinis, New Zealand’s Trent Boult, and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan all confirmed – alongside South Africans David Miller, Faf du Plessis and Heinrich Klaasen.

New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr and Kane Williamson had already been confirmed along with South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt.

They join a star list of domestic and overseas retentions which includes England superstars Jos Buttler, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Adil Rashid, plus Australia’s Beth Mooney, West Indies’ Hayley Matthews, New Zealand’s Tim Southee and Australia’s Ellyse Perry.

It is the first time teams have been able to sign one men’s and one women’s player directly, rather than having to sign players through The Hundred Draft.

The teams will largely complete their squads at The Hundred Draft on 12 March, with May’s Vitality Wildcard Draft – where teams can add two final men’s and women’s players, rewarding players who’ve been stand-out performers in domestic cricket – the final chance for teams to add to their group.

The Hundred returns for its fifth year at Lord’s with a London derby between London Spirit and Oval Invincibles kicking off another year of world-class cricket and blockbuster entertainment.

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Australia batter Steve Smith said: “I’m delighted to be joining Welsh Fire later this summer. I was due to be involved with The Hundred at the beginning of the competition so it’s great to finally be able to make it to Wales. I’ve watched The Hundred from afar and I can’t wait to be involved. It looks a lot of fun and obviously the cricket is world class, with talent at every team. I’m looking forward to trying out a new format and hopefully playing my part for Mike Hussey and the rest of the boys.”

England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt said: “The list of players joining the competition looks better than ever, across the men’s and the women’s competitions. We’re delighted to have [Australian duo] Ash Gardner and Alana King back at Trent Bridge, as well as a number of our home-grown players. Hopefully this is the year we can go all the way, we’ve still got the chance to add more quality at The Hundred Draft. I know we’re all looking forward to getting back out there in front of our fans.”

Birmingham Phoenix Women: Ellyse Perry, Amy Jones, Emily Arlott, Megan Schutt, Hannah Baker, Charis Pavely, Sterre Kalis, Ailsa Lister

Birmingham Phoenix Men: Liam Livingstone, Ben Duckett, Trent Boult, Jacob Bethell, Benny Howell, Adam Milne, Dan Mousley, Tim Southee, Will Smeed, Chris Wood, Aneurin Donald

London Spirit Women: Grace Harris, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Charlie Dean, Deepti Sharma, Georgia Redmayne, Eva Gray, Cordelia Griffith, Tara Norris, Sophie Munro

London Spirit Men: Liam Dawson, Daniel Worrall, Kane Williamson, Richard Gleeson, Olly Stone, Ollie Pope, Keaton Jennings

Manchester Originals Women: Amelia Kerr, Sophie Ecclestone, Beth Mooney, Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Evelyn Jones, Kathryn Bryce, Fi Morris, Danielle Gregory

Manchester Originals Men: Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Heinrich Klaasen, Matthew Hurst, Scott Currie, Josh Tongue, Tom Hartley, Sonny Baker, Tom Aspinwall

Northern Superchargers Women: Phoebe Litchfield, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Kate Cross, Bess Heath, Linsey Smith, Hollie Armitage, Alice Davidson-Richards, Grace Ballinger, Davina Perrin

Northern Superchargers Men: Harry Brook, Adil Rashid, David Miller, Mitchell Santner, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Ben Dwarshuis, Graham Clark, Pat Brown, Tom Lawes

Oval Invincibles Women: Marizanne Kapp, Alice Capsey, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Meg Lanning, Tash Farrant, Ryana Macdonald-Gay, Sophia Smale, Jo Gardner, Rachel Slater

Oval Invincibles Men: Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Tom Curran, Jordan Cox, Rashid Khan, Saqib Mahmood, Sam Billings, Gus Atkinson, Nathan Sowter, Donovan Ferreira, Tawanda Muyeye

Southern Brave Women: Laura Wolvaardt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Maia Bouchier, Lauren Bell, Freya Kemp, Georgia Adams, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Rhianna Southby

Southern Brave Men: James Vince, Jofra Archer, Tymal Mills, Chris Jordan, Faf du Plessis, Leus Du Plooy, Craig Overton, Laurie Evans, Finn Allen, Danny Briggs, James Coles

Trent Rockets Women: Ash Gardner, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alana King, Heather Graham, Bryony Smith, Grace Scrivens, Kirstie Gordon, Alexa Stonehouse, Natasha Wraith, Cassidy McCarthy

Trent Rockets Men: Joe Root, Marcus Stoinis, Tom Banton, John Turner, Sam Cook, Sam Hain, Tom Alsop, Calvin Harrison

Welsh Fire Women: Hayley Matthews, Tammy Beaumont, Jessica Jonassen, Shabnim Ismail, Sarah Bryce, Georgia Elwiss, Freya Davies, Georgia Davis, Emily Windsor, Beth Langston

Welsh Fire Men: Steve Smith, Jonny Bairstow, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Abell, Luke Wells, Stephen Eskinazi

From today, supporters who are members at Counties or fans who have bought tickets for The Hundred in three seasons or more are able to buy match tickets here.

An exclusive window open will be open to fans who have previously bought tickets to The Hundred from 4-18 March.

All other fans who would like to access priority tickets can enter the priority sale window from 1-15 April by signing up in advance at thehundred.com.

The general sale period for the fifth year of The Hundred begins from 17 April. Tickets continue to be great value, with prices set at £5 for juniors aged 3-15 (free for under 3s) and adults starting from £12.

Highlight statistics from The Hundred 2024:

• Over two million people have attended The Hundred across the first four years of the competition.

• In 2024, the one million landmark for fans attending The Hundred women’s competition was passed.

• The Hundred once again broke the global record for total attendance at a women’s cricket competition in 2024, with 320,000 fans in attendance.

• Records were broken for women’s attendances at seven of the competition’s eight venues – Emirates Old Trafford, Headingley, Sophia Gardens, Utilita Bowl, Trent Bridge, the Kia Oval and Lord’s

• In total, 540,000 tickets were sold for The Hundred’s fourth year, with 31% of those fans women, 23% juniors, and 41% families.

• Of those ticket-buyers in 2024, 30% were new to cricket and across the four years of the competition, The Hundred has welcomed over 400,000 junior ticket-holders through its doors.

• Video views across The Hundred in 2024 were approximately 200m, a 114% increase on 2023, while engagements were at 18m – a 56% increase on 2023 – and impressions were 222m, up 127% on 2023.

• Across Sky Sports and BBC, The Hundred had over 10 million unique viewers.
 
Maxwell, Dottin, Warner, Healy and Russell among players in The Hundred Draft

International superstars Glenn Maxwell, Deandra Dottin, Sophie Devine, David Warner, Andre Russell and Alyssa Healy are some of the big names available to teams in The Hundred Draft, scheduled to take place on Wednesday 12 March.

The big name overseas stars are joined by a group of top-class domestic names also vying to be picked ahead of the fifth year of the competition, including Jamie Overton, Sophia Dunkley, Issy Wong, Rehan Ahmed and Reece Topley.

England Men's legend James Anderson is also among the names available, as is young Lancashire batter Rocky Flintoff.

The sixteen men's and women's teams have already retained a number of players from last year’s squads, and will now fill up the remainder of their available squad places through The Hundred Draft.

In the men's competition, London Spirit will have the first pick. In the women's competition, Birmingham Phoenix will pick first.

The Hundred returns for its fifth year at Lord’s on 5 August with a London derby between London Spirit and Oval Invincibles kicking off another year of world-class cricket and blockbuster entertainment.
 
Dislike this so called hundred format. Needs to be scrapped. Play T20 or dont bother. Icc needs to get a grip stop allowing everything. Stop that t10 immediately. Spineless icc just loves money only.
 
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Banerjee appointed as Hundred managing director​


Vikram Banerjee has been appointed managing director of The Hundred by the England and Wales Cricket Board after he oversaw the sale of stakes in the teams to private investors.

The new investment resulted in the combined worth of the eight Hundred teams being valued at over £950m.

ECB chief executive officer Richard Gould said: "Vikram has led the work to attract new partners into the competition superbly, and is the perfect person to now conclude these deals and work with the teams and investors to take The Hundred to the next level over the coming years.

"Having been at the heart of developing the ECB's Inspiring Generations strategy for cricket, he also truly understands how The Hundred can not only grow the game but also support the whole of cricket in England and Wales."

Former Gloucestershire bowler Banerjee, 40, who was the ECB's director of business operations, will work on concluding the sales of stakes in the Hundred franchises, as well as continued growth on the competition.

Banerjee said: "I'm delighted to be taking on this new role, and to be able to drive the competition forward, building on the success of the competition so far and working with a new group of partners who bring such an impressive range of skills and expertise from the very best of global sport and industry."

Through sales of stakes in the franchises, a figure north of £500m raised will be shared between the ECB's 18 professional counties, Marleybone Cricket Club (MCC) and the domestic game.

Southern Brave and the Northern Superchargers are the two sides to have been bought out in their entirety by Indian Premier League side Delhi Capitals and the Sun Group, who own IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad, respectively.

Lancashire sold a 70% stake of the Manchester Originals to the owners of IPL side Lucknow Super Giants for around £81m.

The owners of Mumbai Indians became the fourth IPL team to buy a stake in a Hundred franchise, purchasing 49% of the Oval Invincibles from Surrey for £60m.

Elsewhere, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly agreed to pay just under £40m for a 49% share in Trent Rockets.

Warwickshire agreed a 49% sale of Birmingham Phoenix to Birmingham City owners Knighthead Capital for £40m and Glamorgan sold the same stake in Welsh Fire to IT entrepreneur Sanjay Govil for £40m.

Of the eight sales, the most lucrative has been the £145m from a consortium led by Nikesh Arora for a 49% share of London Spirit.

All sales are currently in an eight-week exclusivity period and are expected to be concluded by the start of the new season.

www.bbc.com

The Hundred: ECB appoints Vikram Banerjee as managing director

Vikram Banerjee is appointed managing director of The Hundred after he oversaw the sale of stakes in the teams to private investors.
www.bbc.com
 
The Hundred 2025: Full squad lists

​

Birmingham Phoenix​

Men's

Liam Livingstone, Ben Duckett, Trent Boult (o), Jacob Bethell, Benny Howell, Adam Milne (o), Dan Mousley, Tim Southee (o), Will Smeed, Chris Wood, Aneurin Donald, Joe Clarke, Harry Moore, Tom Helm.
Women's

Ellyse Perry (o), Amy Jones, Emily Arlott, Megan Schutt (o), Hannah Baker, Charis Pavely, Sterre Kalis, Ailsa Lister, Georgia Voll (o), Emma Lamb, Georgie Boyce, Marie Kelly, Bethan Ellis.

London Spirit​

Men's

Jamie Smith, Liam Dawson, Daniel Worrall, Kane Williamson (o), Richard Gleeson, Olly Stone, Ollie Pope, Keaton Jennings, Jamie Overton, David Warner (o), Luke Wood, Ashton Turner (o), Jafer Chohan, Wayne Madsen.
Women's

Grace Harris (o), Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Charlie Dean, Deepti Sharma (o), Georgia Redmayne (o), Eva Gray, Cordelia Griffith, Tara Norris, Sophie Munro, Heather Knight, Issy Wong, Rebecca Tyson.

Manchester Originals​

Men's

Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Heinrich Klaasen (o), Matthew Hurst, Scott Currie, Josh Tongue, Tom Hartley, Sonny Baker, Tom Aspinwall, Noor Ahmad (o), Rachin Ravindra (o), Lewis Gregory, Ben McKinney, George Garton.

Women's

Amelia Kerr (o), Sophie Ecclestone, Beth Mooney (o), Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Eve Jones, Kathryn Bryce, Fi Morris, Danielle Gregory, Deandra Dottin (o), Seren Smale, Ella McCaughan, Alice Monaghan.

Northern Superchargers​

Men's

Harry Brook, Adil Rashid, David Miller (o), Mitchell Santner (o), Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Ben Dwarshuis (o), Graham Clark, Pat Brown, Tom Lawes, Zak Crawley, Dan Lawrence, Michael Pepper, Dawid Malan.
Women's

Phoebe Litchfield (o), Annabel Sutherland (o), Georgia Wareham (o), Kate Cross, Bess Heath, Linsey Smith, Hollie Armitage, Alice Davidson-Richards, Grace Ballinger, Davina Perrin, Grace Potts, Lucy Higham, Ella Claridge.

Oval Invincibles​

Men's

Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Tom Curran, Jordan Cox, Rashid Khan (o), Saqib Mahmood, Sam Billings, Gus Atkinson, Nathan Sowter, Donovan Ferreira (o), Tawanda Muyeye, Jason Behrendorff (o), Miles Hammond.
Women's

Marizanne Kapp (o), Alice Capsey, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Amanda-Jade Wellington (o), Meg Lanning (o), Tash Farrant, Ryana Macdonald-Gay, Sophia Smale, Jo Gardner, Rachel Slater, Paige Scholfield, Phoebe Franklin, Kalea Moore.

Southern Brave​

Men's

James Vince, Jofra Archer, Tymal Mills, Chris Jordan, Faf du Plessis (o), Leus Du Plooy, Craig Overton, Laurie Evans, Finn Allen (o), Danny Briggs, James Coles, Michael Bracewell (o), Reece Topley, Jordan Thompson.

Women's

Laura Wolvaardt (o), Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Maia Bouchier, Lauren Bell, Freya Kemp, Georgia Adams, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Rhianna Southby, Sophie Devine (o), Chloe Tryon (o), Mady Villiers, Josie Groves, Phoebe Graham.

Trent Rockets​

Men's

Joe Root, Marcus Stoinis (o), Tom Banton, John Turner, Sam Cook, Sam Hain, Tom Alsop, Calvin Harrison, David Willey, Lockie Ferguson (o), Max Holden, George Linde (o), Adam Hose, Rehan Ahmed.
Women's

Ash Gardner (o), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alana King (o), Heather Graham (o), Bryony Smith, Grace Scrivens, Kirstie Gordon, Alexa Stonehouse, Natasha Wraith, Cassidy McCarthy, Jodi Grewcock, Emma Jones, Ellie Threlkeld.

Welsh Fire​

Men's

Chris Woakes, Steve Smith (o), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Abell, Luke Wells, Stephen Eskinazi, David Payne, Paul Walter, Riley Meredith (o), Chris Green (o), Saif Zaib, Josh Hull, Mason Crane.
Women's

Hayley Matthews (o), Tammy Beaumont, Jess Jonassen (o), Shabnim Ismail (o), Sarah Bryce, Georgia Elwiss, Freya Davies, Georgia Davis, Emily Windsor, Beth Langston, Sophia Dunkley, Katie George, Katie Levick.
 
BouncerGuy said:
IPL bosses are doing their job
Click to expand...

Easy to be conspiracy theorist about it but in general, Pakistani players aren't exactly hot property considering the performances of these players in T20's in recent times. Pakistan are also scheduled to have a few white ball series (tour to WI & series vs Afghanistan) & looming Asia Cup around the time Hundred will be going on so NOC's aren't likely to be granted.

Heck, PCB will not grant NOC last minute like they did with Naseem Shah last year for no reason or without international commitment issue and leave the teams in a bad spot. It's not a one off either, PCB have been doing this non stop over the years and not only has this resulted in stagnation in our players development in their T20 game, it also means other leagues will simply stop selecting Pakistani players due to PCB erratic behaviour.

If PCB had any sense, they would be encouraging players to play in top leagues and grant NOC's so even if the relationship with India remains poor, at least you can have a good relationship with other boards and maybe it would be reciprocal with other boards so they can make some of their top players available during PSL.
 
Hundred sales deadline extended after delay in negotiations

The deadline to finalise the sale of The Hundred franchises has been extended by the England and Wales Cricket Board after delays in negotiations.

Multiple sources have told BBC Sport there are no major concerns over the hold-ups, with investors still fully committed to the deals agreed earlier this year which had an initial eight-week exclusivity period.

Delays have centred on the participation agreement, the key legal document between the ECB and the Hundred franchise investors which includes how television rights for the tournament are sold in the future.

It is now hoped the sales process will be concluded by the end of April, but all parties are said to be relaxed about the time frame should the legal process take longer.

As reported by the Daily Telegraph,, external the prospective buyers of the two London franchises are among those who have raised concerns over the participation agreement.

An American consortium of tech billionaires agreed to pay £145m for a 49% stake in Lord's-based London Spirit, while India's richest family - the Ambanis - purchased the same stake in the Oval Invincibles for £60m.

However, one investor told BBC Sport they would be "flabbergasted" if any of those who had agreed to buy a franchise would pull out at this stage.

The overall valuation of the sales of The Hundred franchises came to more than £950m.

The total money raised to be shared among the 18 counties, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and domestic game is more than £500m.

The ECB is retaining control of The Hundred competition, but sold stakes in the teams to provide a cash injection to the game in this country.

From the total money raised, 10% will go straight to the recreational game. Proceeds from the 49% sales will be divided between the 18 first-class counties and the MCC.

Little change is expected to The Hundred for the forthcoming season, which is seen by both the ECB and the new investors as a transitional year.



BBC
 

Hundred sales will complete at agreed price - ECB​

The England and Wales Cricket Board remain confident sales of stakes in The Hundred teams will go through at the agreed price, despite extending the window for deals to be completed.

In February, the ECB oversaw the sale of stakes in the eight franchises to private investors, achieving a collective value of more than £975m and bringing in about £520m to be split across the game in this country.

However, on Friday, it emerged the eight-week exclusivity period to finalise agreements has had to be extended after delays in negotiations.

"I'd hope [to reach a conclusion] in the next month or so, perhaps sooner," said ECB chief executive Richard Gould.

"Some parties are absolutely ready to go now, others have additional questions. It's the quality of the conversations and not timescale we're focused on."

One factor that was always likely to be an issue was how different global markets access the revenue available from big television audiences.

Historically the ECB has driven that revenue through a domestic subscription model, whereas India and the United States - where several investors are from - tend to focus on advertising.

"There are differences in the markets, [but] working through those different models has been a helpful element," added Gould.

"We're making sure we can best protect their investment and give them the certainty we can to help them to drive value. They're investing a lot of money into our game. We want to make sure they can reap the dividends as well."

Gould said there was no doubt about any of the deals going through.

"The valuations are absolutely locked in," he said. "I don't see any risk at all at this point."

The Hundred has long been a source of frustration to county cricket supporters who feel the 18 teams are negatively impacted by the marquee competition.

A county-led review offering feedback as to how a future structure could work will be undertaken in the coming weeks.

Rob Andrew, managing director of the professional game, said: "There's a general feeling that these competitions can be improved, and we'll make sure everybody's views are listened to

"The schedule is not perfect. Our job is to try and pull all the views together."

Asked whether the T20 Blast has suffered because of The Hundred, Andrew said: "There's a feeling The Blast needs a refresh, to give it that renewed energy lost a little bit through The Hundred dynamics in recent years.

"Nothing's on the table, nothing's off the table."

Meanwhile, the ECB remains hopeful of continuing to host the World Test Championship final beyond the current deal.

June's showpiece at Lord's between Australia and South Africa is the last year the final, which is held every two years, is slated to be in England.

"We've done such a good job and Lord's will build on that this year," said Gould.

"When people see more sell-out crowds then hopefully the arguments about moving it around the world will recede."

Source: BBC
 
ECB set to retain control over domestic TV rights in Hundred trade-off deal

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is close to reaching an agreement with the new Hundred investors that will enable the governing body to retain control of selling domestic television rights while receiving the full £520m offered for the eight franchises.

The eight-week exclusivity period agreed after January’s Hundred auction was extended last month but, following further negotiations, all parties are now confident a redrafted participation agreement will be signed by the end of this month.

The new part-owners of London Spirit (a consortium of technology chief executives trading under Silicon Valley Cricket Investor Holdings) and the Oval Invincibles (Reliance Industries, which owns Mumbai Indians and is owned by the Ambani family) had pushed back against elements of the original agreement relating to the sale of TV rights, future sponsorship deals and voting rights on the Hundred committee, a new body that will run the competition from next season.

The Guardian has learned that a compromise has been reached under which the ECB retains control of all domestic TV rights including the Hundred, which is currently worth £220m a year to English cricket through a new four-year deal with Sky Sports starting this summer, with the Hundred owners taking charge of selling overseas rights.

Many of the new investors have identified the overseas TV market as the main lever for generating growth, particularly given their expertise in that area. The London Spirit consortium includes the chief executives of Google and Adobe, for example, while the new Oval owner Reliance is part of a joint venture with Disney and also owns the telecoms firm Jio, which has Indian Premier League streaming rights in India.

The ECB has achieved a significant win, however, in ensuring that the Hundred remains part of the domestic deal, as that is critical to its relationship with Sky, which has in effect bankrolled the sport since first buying exclusive rights for England’s home matches in 2006. Sky was also integral to the development of the Hundred as a concept and has invested heavily in its promotion, as well as developing the team brands.

The Hundred owners had requested the option to sell rights to the tournament separately from the rest of English international and domestic cricket, but under the terms of the participation agreement that decision will remain with the ECB. The Hundred will remain part of the domestic TV tender for the 2029-2032 rights cycle, although the ECB has not ruled out “unbundling” the rights and selling the competition separately in future years.

The ECB has also made concessions to the new owners by giving them greater freedom to sign their own sponsorship deals. A clause which gave the ECB the right to negotiate five exclusive sponsorship deals for the Hundred centrally has been removed. Investors will also be given enhanced voting rights on the Hundred committee.

Crucially for the ECB, the valuations of the franchises made during the auction remain unchanged, providing an unprecedented £520m windfall for the sport. Of that, £52m will be invested in recreational cricket, with the rest allocated to the professional game via a complex formula.

In addition to broadcasting, sponsorship and commercial arrangements, the participation agreement also covers the Hundred schedule, playing conditions and the number of teams, with those elements remaining unchanged.

It is widely expected the Hundred will adopt a Twenty20 format when the next TV deal starts in 2029, although that issue has not been raised during the participation agreement discussions. Any changes to the format, or possible expansion by adding two more teams, will be determined by the Hundred committee.

SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...l-over-domestic-tv-rights-the-hundred-cricket
 
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