The Hundred has opened the doors for private investment. Since the start of September, they have received bids for acquiring a 49% stake in their eight franchises. Naturally, most IPL franchises are interested. Most have already created a presence in other leagues all over the world, like the SA20, ILT20, or MLC.
For some time, IPL franchises have been trying to get into the English cricket system. Previously that was through County Cricket, but now the medium is The Hundred. At least four teams have already shown interest in buying a major stake in one of the eight franchises.
TV rights are wrong?
However, IPL’s founder, Lalit Modi, has cautioned them and other potential investors. According to Telegraph Sport, the ECB has estimated that the domestic TV rights for the Hundred will rise from £54 million (Rs 600 crore) to £85 million (Rs 950 crore) per year by 2029. In India, they estimate that TV rights will rise from £1.3 million (Rs 14.5 crore) in 2026 to £15 million (Rs 168 crore) annually by 2030.
“The ECB’s financial projections for The Hundred, particularly beyond 2026, appear overly optimistic and disconnected from reality. The International TV rights figures make little sense, given the global competition from other cricket leagues like the IPL. It’s unlikely the Hundred will attract the necessary international audience to justify these inflated numbers. Domestically, while an increase in TV rights from £54 million to £85 million is plausible, the optimism around sponsorship post-2027 is far-fetched. The ECB’s hope for sustained sponsorship growth into 2029-30 seems more like wishful thinking than a realistic forecast.” Modi posted on X.
Question over evaluation
The ECB feels that they can rake up £500m (Rs 5600 crore). However, Modi believes that at best, the Hundred franchises are valued somewhere between £5 million (Rs 56 crore) in 2026 and £25 million (Rs 280 crore) each. He estimates that their biggest franchise, London Spirit, is worth around £25 million, while Manchester Originals is around £8.5 million (Rs 95 crore).
“Worse still, The Hundred struggles to match even the Caribbean Premier League’s profitability, a sobering indication of its financial frailty. The Hundred appears to be on shaky financial ground, with projections that fail to inspire confidence in its long-term viability as these look dangerously overambitious and unsustainable. “THINK TWICE BEFORE INVESTING see the ebitda of all teams as reflected in the information memorandum given out by ECB to prospective buyers.”
