The Sale of Shares in Six Teams of The Hundred Is Completed

• The sale of shares in six teams of The Hundred has been completed.
• Over £500 million has been raised for the development of cricket.
• Investors will gain control from January 1, 2025.

The sale of shares in six teams of the tournament The Hundred has been completed, confirming the English and Welsh cricket boards (ECB). Investments in the teams Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets are not yet finalized, but "are still in the pipeline" for finalization.

The Sun Group, owner of the IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad, acquired 100% of the shares in Northern Superchargers for over £100 million. The Indian company RPSG Group, which owns Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, purchased 70% of Manchester Originals, while GMR Group, owner of Delhi Capitals, acquired 49% of Southern Brave.

American investors Tech Titans (49%), Knighthead Capital Management (49%), and Washington Freedom (50%) have completed deals for London Spirit, Birmingham Phoenix, and Welsh Fire, respectively. The total valuation of all eight teams will be £975 million, of which over £500 million will be allocated between professional leagues and for the development of youth cricket.

Investors will gain operational control from January 1, 2025, however, in this year's tournament, which starts on September 5, they will not participate.

Important Moment for Cricket in England and Wales

ECB Chief Richard Thompson noted that The Hundred already plays an important role in the development of cricket, attracting new audiences and increasing the popularity of women's cricket. "The scale of global interest that we have observed underlines how much potential can still be realized," he said.

With new partners, the ECB is entering a new phase of development that will allow it to attract more global players and support the development of cricket at all levels in England and Wales.

The ECB retains its rights to the tournament and control over regulation. A new council will be established with representatives from the ECB and the teams, which will outline the strategic direction for the development of The Hundred.

The Hundred tournament in 2025 will run until September 31, with 16 matches, which will be broadcast on BBC TV and iPlayer.

Tags: Europe/Sport