The Hundred could go private with ECB considering IPL-style ownership model

EXCLUSIVE: The likelihood is that the ECB will retain ownership in the early stages of The 100 but might ultimately look to sell teams or shares in them at some juncture. The counties had initially voted on a T20 tournament owned by the ECB

Having initially decided on full and complete ownership of The 100, the new eight-team tournament scheduled for 2020, the ECB are now considering the advantages of the private ownership model employed by the IPL, The Cricketer understands.

The escalating costs of launching The Hundred (up to £40m at the last count), and the significant marketing advantages of outside investment, are two reasons for the ECB to be looking at their options.

The likelihood is that the ECB will retain ownership in the early stages of The 100 but might ultimately look to sell teams or shares in them at some juncture. The counties had initially voted on a T20 tournament owned by the ECB.

The 100 still looks on track, however, with a county chief telling The Cricketer “the ECB are still listening” to their concerns ahead of the next board meeting on November 28.

^{Action from this year's T20 Blast}

The original prospectus of the IPL was designed to attract private investment and did so to the tune of more than $700m. The teams were bought by a range of individuals and consortiums for amounts ranging between $112m (Mumbai Indians) and $67m (Rajasthan Royals).

It lured big business to the table in the shape of Mukesh Ambani – the richest man in India – and other giant corporations and significant financial investment from Bollywood too. In return they receive a declining share of central broadcast and sponsorship revenue. 

It was the involvement of the super-rich, the major corporations and India’s billion-dollar movie industry that instantly elevated the IPL to global status and gave it pulling power beyond the national cricket boards. It also attracted more than $1bn in TV rights for the first years of the tournament. The IPL’s worth was recently valued at $5.3bn, on a par with Premier League football.

Cricket Australia originally entertained the idea of putting ownership of Big Bash teams out to tender but eventually decided to retain control and the teams are owned by the individual state associations (effectively CA). The competition lost $33m in its first five years of operation. 

^{Fans enjoy T20 Blast Finals Day}

There are obvious fears that to cede ownership of The Hundred would make the competition – and therefore the ECB – hostage to the fortunes and behaviour of external businesses, especially in the light of the betting scandals that have afflicted the IPL. But with strong governance and a strict code of conduct (ultimately instigated by the Supreme Court in India) order and integrity can be maintained.

The advantages in outside investment in The Hundred would be not just the initial income, but the influence and marketing spend of the investors to appeal to a broader population than those within cricket could reach.

This would include investment from the subcontinent, which could pave the way for the involvement of top Indian players. In an attempt to appeal to the South Asian community, that for the ECB would represent the holy grail.

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