The England and Wales Cricket Board (春梦直播) today confirmed a landmark achievement in the evolution of The Hundred, with deals now complete with the first six strategic partners for The Hundred teams.
The remaining two are set for formal completion at a later date. They remain on track, in line with the 春梦直播 having offered investors the option of completing later.
This pivotal moment sees The Hundred become the first UK sports competition to secure franchise partnerships of this scale, drawing on world-class expertise from across global sport, media, technology, and finance. Each new investor brings a tailored vision and expertise to their team, reflecting the growing commercial and cultural momentum behind The Hundred.
The milestone comes less than a week before the 2025 competition begins and marks a transformative moment for The Hundred and the future of cricket in England and Wales, with more than 拢500m of total proceeds when all deals are complete to be shared between professional counties and the grassroots game. This announcement follows the exclusivity period launched earlier this year, during which selected investors entered final-stage negotiations.
In most cases, investors will operate their franchise in The Hundred in partnership with the host club. They will take over operational control from October 1, 2025.
The six deals which have now formally completed are:
- London Spirit听鈥� Tech Titans (49%)
- Birmingham Phoenix听鈥� Knighthead Capital Management, LLC, on behalf of its investors (鈥淜nighthead鈥�) (49%)
- Manchester Originals听鈥� RPSG Group (70%)
- Northern Superchargers听鈥� Sun TV Network Limited (100%)
- Southern Brave听鈥� GMR Group (49%)
- Welsh Fire听鈥� Washington Freedom (50%)
听The two deals which remain on track to formally complete later are:
- Oval Invincibles鈥� Reliance Group (49%)
- Trent Rockets鈥� Cain International & Ares Management (49%)
Collectively, the eight partnerships represent a valuation of the teams of over 拢975 million, with more than 拢500 million now set to be invested into the English and Welsh cricket ecosystem. This includes a dedicated 拢50 million commitment to grassroots cricket, ensuring the game continues to thrive at every level, with the remainder distributed to professional counties.
Richard Thompson, 春梦直播 Chair, said:听鈥淭he Hundred has already played a vital role in growing cricket in England and Wales 鈥� attracting new audiences, elevating the women鈥檚 game, and delivering high-quality entertainment. The sheer scale of global interest we've seen throughout this process highlights just how much potential remains to be unlocked.
鈥淲ith these new partners on board, we鈥檙e entering an exciting new phase and a seminal moment for cricket in England and Wales. Their global perspective and track record in elite sport and business will help us reimagine what鈥檚 possible 鈥� from deepening fan connections to attracting even more world-class players.
鈥淐rucially, this investment will not only fuel the competition鈥檚 growth but also channel transformative levels of funding into our professional counties and grassroots game. This will ensure cricket continues to thrive at all levels across England and Wales for generations to come, supporting our broader ambitions to become the country鈥檚 most inclusive sport and driving cricket into harder to reach and under-served communities.鈥�
The new partners are investing in The Hundred teams, while the 春梦直播 retains full ownership of the competition itself, and with that, control over key areas such as regulations, the length of the window and other matters that have a wider game-wide impact.
A new The Hundred Board will be established, featuring representatives of the 春梦直播 and the teams (both investors and host clubs), which will have delegated authority over certain defined matters relating to the strategic direction and commercial growth of The Hundred, such as The Hundred sponsorship and licensing deals, player salaries and player draft and retention mechanics.
The 春梦直播 was advised throughout the process by Deloitte and the Raine Group as co-lead financial advisers, with legal counsel provided by Latham & Watkins and Onside Law LLP.
Investor comments
London Spirit听鈥� Tech Titans
Nikesh Arora and Egon Durban said: 鈥淲e are extremely proud to be co-owners of London Spirit and the first external partner of Marylebone Cricket Club in their 238-year history. The heritage and history of MCC and Lord鈥檚, plus the inclusive and family-first audience of London Spirit, is a winning combination. Our consortium brings decades of deep expertise in technology, sports, and media to accelerate growth and bring London Spirit, and its home venue Lord鈥檚, to the more than 1 billion cricket fans globally.鈥�
Birmingham Phoenix听鈥� Knighthead Capital Management, LLC
Andrew Shannahan, Managing Member at Knighthead, said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e incredibly proud to deepen our investment in Birmingham through joining The Hundred and putting our support behind Birmingham Phoenix. Knighthead is committed to building something truly special and making an even greater impact across sport and community in this city - and cricket will play a vital part of that fabric.鈥�
Kyle Kneisly, Partner at Knighthead, added: 鈥淭his investment reflects Knighthead鈥檚 belief in Birmingham鈥檚 future, and in the power of sport to bring people together, inspire the next generation, and drive meaningful growth for the region. We look forward to supporting the Phoenix and continuing to build a world-class sporting ecosystem here in Birmingham."听
Manchester Originals听鈥� RPSG Group
Dr Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman of the RPSG Group, said: 鈥淭o me, cricket is about identifying, communicating and building a society which is not only cricket, but beyond cricket, which gives careers to people and opportunities to young people and unifying people with a common interest and a passion for the sport.
鈥淢anchester Originals have done brilliantly as a team so far and they have done very well in terms of connecting with the youth and with their fans - that connection is something that I am looking forward to working with, developing and growing throughout this partnership. We look forward to working with the team at Lancashire Cricket on this.鈥�
Northern Superchargers听鈥� Sun TV Network Limited
Kaviya Maran, Head of Sports, Sun TV Network Limited (Sunrisers), said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to have acquired the Northern Superchargers and to begin this new chapter in close collaboration with Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Yorkshire鈥檚 proud cricketing heritage, its passionate fan base, and the iconic Headingley Stadium make this a truly special opportunity. We are committed to building upon that legacy.
鈥淭he Hundred has created a stage where tradition meets innovation and fans of all ages are tuning in. It鈥檚 a game changer and we are here to help push it even further. For someone who is passionate about the game鈥檚 future, especially bringing more women and younger fans into it, this investment felt like a no brainer.鈥�
Oval Invincibles 鈥� Reliance Group
Mr Akash M. Ambani, said: "We are glad to be part of Oval Invincibles 鈥� the most successful team in The Hundred 鈥� and welcome them into the Mumbai Indians family. England, with its rich cricketing culture, has always been special to the game. To have the iconic Oval, which has witnessed some of cricket鈥檚 greatest moments, as our home venue is truly special. We look forward to collaborating with like-minded partners, Surrey CCC, who share our passion and ethos for the sport. By leveraging our global cricket expertise, we aim to further elevate the teams, engage with fans, and expand our footprint in the sport we love."
Southern Brave 鈥� GMR Group
Kiran Kumar Grandhi, Chairman, GMR Sports, said: 鈥淥ur investment in Southern Brave marks a significant milestone in GMR鈥檚 vision to shape the future of global cricket. We see Hampshire Cricket as a key pillar in that journey. Southern Brave has established a proud legacy in The Hundred, with both its men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 teams performing at the highest level. The tournament has a vibrant and diverse fan base, offering us with an exciting opportunity to engage with new audiences.
鈥淎t GMR, we are committed to building on these strong foundations by combining global sporting excellence with deep infrastructure expertise. Utilita Bowl is a special venue, and the broader cricket ecosystem in Hampshire Cricket, from grassroots initiatives to The Brave, has immense potential. We believe the time is right to accelerate this momentum and elevate cricket on the South Coast to new heights.鈥�
Trent Rockets 鈥� Cain International & Ares Management
Mark Affolter, Co-Head of Ares鈥� Sports, Media & Entertainment strategy, said: 鈥淲e are proud to support the Trent Rockets through our investment alongside Nottinghamshire CCC and Cain. The Hundred has quickly become one of the leading cricket leagues in the world, and we are very excited to be part of the journey with our first investment in cricket globally. We look forward to supporting the long-term success of the Trent Rockets through our flexible capital and significant experience in major global sports leagues and teams.鈥�
Jonathan Goldstein, co-founder and CEO of Cain International said: 鈥淪ince inception, The Hundred has brought something new to the game and Trent Rockets is well placed to be a driving force behind the competition鈥檚 next chapter. This is a club with real ambition and a clear drive to win, both on the men's and women's sides. We are proud to support the team's continued growth in partnership with Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and Ares, and we look forward to helping The Hundred connect with more fans across the country."
Welsh Fire 鈥� Washington Freedom
Sanjay Govil, Owner, Washington Freedom, said: "We鈥檙e incredibly excited to announce our investment in Welsh Fire, a team with tremendous potential within The Hundred, one of the world's premier cricket leagues. We've identified significant synergies between our organizations and look forward to sharing our expertise and learning from Welsh Fire's established strengths. Our commitment has always been to fostering an unparalleled environment for players and their families, rooted in a positive team culture. We're eager to bring this philosophy to Welsh Fire and help elevate them to new heights."