ECB announce Vitality as new T20 Blast sponsor

The health and life insurance company has signed a four-year deal to sponsor the T20 Blast and key grassroots T20 tournaments and will also sponsor all home England T20 internationals

The ECB have announced that Vitality will become their new title partner for T20 cricket at all levels.

The health and life insurance company has signed a four-year deal to sponsor the T20 Blast, which will now be called the Vitality Blast, and key grassroots T20 tournaments as well as penning a two-year contract as title sponsor of England men's and women's home T20 internationals.

A statement from the ECB read: "The new partnership will give Vitality full competition naming rights, in-ground advertising and hospitality rights as well as access to England players.

"The new sponsorship sees Vitality further increase its footprint in cricket. The insurer has been an Official Partner of the ECB since 2013 and counts England Test captain Joe Root as one of its Ambassadors. Beyond cricket, Vitality has a comprehensive sponsorship portfolio which embraces a wide range of sports, including football, rugby, hockey, netball and run events."

ECB commercial director Rob Calder said: “We’re excited to be working with a partner who shares our enthusiasm and passion for T20 cricket.

"It’s the fastest growing format of the game, an integral part of ECB’s long-term strategy and has a critical role to play in bringing new people to the sport.

"Vitality are an established brand in the sports marketplace with a proven track record of using sponsorship successfully to grow fan-bases and improve participation levels.

"They’re a natural fit for a partnership to drive interest and engagement in all our different T20 competitions at every level."