ECB hails ‘exciting new phase’ after six Hundred deals completed July 30, 2025 England and Wales Cricket Board chair Richard Thompson has welcomed “an exciting new phase” for cricket after confirming completion of the sale of six stakes in The Hundred franchises. The six deals formally finalised ahead of next week’s fifth season include London Spirit, Birmingham Phoenix, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Southern Brave and Welsh Fire. Despite [...]
Oval Invincibles sale delayed due to unresolved issues, reports say July 22, 2025 Unresolved issues including the future name of the franchise have delayed completion of the sale of Oval Invincibles – and the flow of funds to hard-up counties – according to reports. The deal will see RISE Worldwide, a subsidiary of the Ambani family’s Reliance Industries, take 49 per cent ownership of the Oval Invincibles franchise [...]
County cricket faces viability questions, warns report July 15, 2025 County cricket faces “questions about its long-term viability” despite a looming £520m windfall from sales of stakes in the Hundred franchises, a new report has warned. The Leonard Curtis Cricket Finance Report, launched yesterday at the Oval, examines the financial health of domestic cricket in England and Wales. It found that central funding accounts for [...]
Hundred teams to be buoyed by hike in IPL franchise valuations July 8, 2025 Hundred teams with links to the Indian Premier League (IPL) are to be buoyed by increased brand valuations for their subcontinental sibling clubs after a new report revealed major competition growth. While Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who do not have any involvement in bids for the eight Hundred franchises, topped the brand value list at £198m, [...]
London Spirit: Tech titans eye speedy Hundred deal to beat Trump tax rises June 25, 2025 English cricket is set to be an unlikely beneficiary of US President Donald Trump’s tax changes, with the so-called “tech titans” who are buying into London Spirit eager to complete the transaction before the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is rubber-stamped by Congress. One clause of the Republic-sponsored bill, now with the Senate having been [...]
Six Nations look to lure Sky by bundling TV rights with Lions June 18, 2025 The Six Nations unions are in talks with the British and Irish Lions about bundling their TV rights for the next four-year cycle. European unions have already sold TV rights for the Six Nations between 2026 and 2029 in a joint deal with ITV and BBC, but have yet to go to market with their [...]
Premiership Rugby taps Raine and Deloitte as investors circle June 11, 2025 Premiership Rugby Limited (PRL) has engaged the Raine Group and Deloitte to manage potential investment in the competition or some of its clubs. Premiership Rugby is attracting inquiries from American investors looking to buy into English sport following the recent influx of purchasers of Premier League and EFL clubs, with interest expected to grow ahead [...]
Middlesex members force vote on County Championship and T20 Blast June 6, 2025 Middlesex cricket club have called a Special General Meeting for 26 June after receiving a petition from members demanding they oppose cuts to the County Championship and T20 Blast next season. The SGM will include a binding vote to determine the club’s position on proposed changes to the domestic schedule, in the first steps of a coordinated attempt by county members to [...]
Richard Thompson: England cricket chief re-elected until 2028 May 22, 2025 Richard Thompson will remain chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) until 2028 after winning a second term. He was initially appointed for a five-year term in 2022 but ECB members have since voted to reduce terms to three years, with chairs able to serve a maximum of two terms in the role. [...]
Red Bull diluted: Energy drink giant reduces stake in Leeds United May 21, 2025 Red Bull’s stake in Leeds United has reduced to below 10 per cent after the German energy drinks company declined the opportunity to invest in the issue of £120m of new shares ahead of the club’s return to the Premier League. The new funding has been provided by members of the 100-strong consortium of investors [...]
