English cricket has officially entered a bold new chapter.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has today confirmed the completion of landmark deals, seeing stakes in six of the eight Hundred teams sold to private investors, injecting hundreds of millions of pounds into the game.
This pivotal shift brings in global expertise and capital from across sport, media, technology, and finance, transforming the landscape of domestic cricket.
The news comes just days before the fifth edition of The Hundred gets underway on August 5th.
While the ECB will retain overall ownership of the competition itself, maintaining control over key areas such as regulations and the playing window, these strategic partnerships mark a significant evolution.
The new investors will take operational control of their respective teams from October 1, 2025, operating in partnership with the host counties.
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The Six Teams with New Ownership Confirmed
London Spirit: A 49% stake has been acquired by Tech Titans, a US-based consortium that includes prominent Silicon Valley figures like Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora, and involves executives from Microsoft and Google. This deal alone valued the team at an impressive £295 million.
Birmingham Phoenix: Knighthead Capital Management, LLC, a US investment firm and owners of Birmingham City FC, has taken a 49% stake, valued at £40 million. NFL legend Tom Brady is a minority investor in Knighthead.
Manchester Originals: India's RPSG Group (owners of IPL's Lucknow Super Giants) has secured a significant 70% controlling stake in a deal valued at over £100 million.
Northern Superchargers: India's Sun TV Network Limited (associated with IPL's Sunrisers Hyderabad) has completed a full 100% acquisition of the Leeds-based team, in a deal reportedly worth around £100 million.
Southern Brave: India's GMR Group (co-owners of IPL's Delhi Capitals), who also took over Hampshire County Cricket Club last year, has acquired a 49% stake.
Welsh Fire: Washington Freedom, owned by Indian-American businessman Sanjay Govil (who also owns a Major League Cricket team in the USA), now holds a 50% stake in the Cardiff-based franchise.
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The remaining two teams, Oval Invincibles (linked to Reliance Group/Mumbai Indians) and Trent Rockets (Cain International & Ares Management, associated with Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly), are reportedly on track for formal completion at a later date, having been offered the option by the ECB.
Collectively, these partnerships value The Hundred teams at over £975 million.
More than £500 million is now set to be invested directly into the English and Welsh cricket ecosystem, with a significant £50 million specifically pledged to grassroots cricket.
This commitment aims to fuel the competition's growth while also channeling transformative funding into professional counties and community cricket, supporting ambitions to make cricket the country's most inclusive sport.
This moment signifies a bold step into a franchise-led future for English cricket, aiming to deepen fan connections, attract more world-class players, and secure the financial foundations for the sport's development from the very top right down to the community level.