English Cricket Board hopeful of enticing American investment in The Hundred… with stakes in all eight teams in the limited-overs competition set to be sold in time for the 2025 season

• The English Cricket Board are attempting to secure investment in The Hundred
• Interested parties from various locations have been invited to the 2024 season
• Move comes as part of a bid to attract the world’s top talent to the competition 

The ECB are hoping to entice American investors for the Hundred after contacting NFL owners and explaining the rules of the game in their pitch.

They hope that stakes in the eight teams will be sold in time for the start of the 2025 season. The fourth season of the 100-ball-a-side competition begins today/Tuesday.

The ECB are wary that with 17 men’s franchise leagues now operating around the world, a hierarchy is developing and believe extra investment is required to remain on the coat-tails of the Indian Premier League.

Owners from the IPL and its women’s equivalent plus interested parties from the US will be hosted during matches here over the next four weeks.

‘We have sent a document and video to some NFL owners to explain what cricket is,’ said ECB director of business operations Vikram Banerjee.

‘In terms of fan engagement, how they can build stadia experience and bring in the next generation, those guys are amazing. We can bring that blend together.’

There is an acceptance within the ECB hierarchy that player wages must rise significantly from the current salary bands of £30,000-£125,000 if they want to attract the world’s top short form talent.

Indeed, Major League Cricket appears to have stolen something of a march on them with the signing of Australia Test captain Pat Cummins on a four-year contract. Cummins rubbed salt in the wound when he said he hadn’t even considered the Hundred.

Its future look will depend on the amount of money coming into the game and from where. In late 2022, a £300million offer from the Bridgepoint Group for a 75% holding was turned down, and English bosses are intent on maintaining control of the competition itself.

Although ECB chief executive Richard Gould said yesterday that there were no active discussions on the subject, the Hundred will revert to Twenty20 over time – in line with the format to be played at the 2028 Olympics – even if it retains its brand name.

An expansion from eight teams is also on the agenda, although such change would need to be made in line with TV broadcast deals and Sky’s current one runs until the end of 2028.