The Future of The Hundred

While tradition may not be the first word that comes to mind when thinking of The Hundred, the image of men’s and women’s champions standing side by side on the Lord’s outfield, hoisting massive trophies as fireworks light up the sky, has become a staple of the British cricketing summer.

As the fourth edition of the tournament concludes, and with stakes in all eight teams set to be sold this autumn, questions loom over what lies ahead for The Hundred.

One thing is clear: The Hundred is here to stay.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) reported that this year’s tournament saw 540,000 tickets sold, pushing the total ticket sales to over two million in its first four years. Notably, more than a million fans attended women’s matches, with record crowds recorded at seven of the eight venues in 2024.

Despite the ongoing debate over the competition’s merits, the fact that 41% of tickets this year were purchased by families and 30% by newcomers to cricket indicates that The Hundred has succeeded in drawing new audiences to the sport.

However, television viewership did dip compared to previous years—a drop that could be attributed to the tournament coinciding with the Olympics for two weeks. Nonetheless, this is unlikely to deter potential investors.

All ten Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners are anticipated to place bids, with interest reportedly coming from North America as well, including from Hollywood actor and Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds.

The eight host cities of The Hundred teams will retain a 51% stake, which they can choose to sell or keep, while the remaining 49% will be sold by the ECB to interested investors.

While investment is on the horizon, the exact future of The Hundred remains uncertain.

When IPL owners have acquired teams in other franchise leagues, it has often led to rebranding, and similar changes are expected for The Hundred. This could mean that instead of seeing London Spirit and Oval Invincibles defending their titles, we might witness the rise of London Royals and Oval Capitals.

The influx of money is hoped to attract the world’s top short-format players to England each summer, a need that is especially pressing in the men’s competition. While The Hundred can boast of featuring leading women’s cricketers from around the globe, the same cannot be said for the men.

In the past, the Caribbean Premier League lured away some big names, and this year, the tournament clashed with Major League Cricket in the US—a conflict likely to recur. Additionally, Pakistan’s intervention prevented Shaheen Afridi from participating in The Hundred, as he chose to play in Canada’s Global T20 tournament instead.

Aligning with IPL teams could entice more star players to join, and increased financial incentives will also play a role. However, competition from leagues in the US and Canada isn’t going anywhere, leaving the future of The Hundred open to both challenges and opportunities.