T20 is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and franchise cricket is one of its most lucrative avenues.
Owning a reasonably well known franchise cricket team means the potential for a massive return on investment and also eyeballs from the farthest corners of the globe.
The recent sale of the Bengaluru and Rajasthan franchises in the IPL – for around $1.8 billion each – has set a new benchmark in the world of sport and cricket, while also attracting more interest from investors.
The latest to join the cricket bandwagon is England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.
Bellingham acquired a 1.2 per cent holding in the Edgbaston-based Hundred team Birmingham Phoenix.
The deal is reported to be worth £800,000. The Phoenix franchise was valued at around £82m during a sales process by the England board last year.
“I love Birmingham. I'm very grateful for what the whole city of Birmingham has done for me," said Bellingham, who grew up in the city.
“I love cricket as well so when I got the opportunity to get involved I didn't really think twice about it. I got the best upbringing into football, into life through Birmingham City. I feel like I owe the city something.”
Bellingham is the latest star name from outside the cricket world to be associated with franchise leagues.
London Spirit (Hundred)
The London-based team has some very high profile investors. An 11-strong consortium of Silicon Valley tech billionaires picked up a 49 per cent stake in the team. They include chief of Google Sundar Pichai and Microsoft boss Satya Nadella. The one good thing they did was not change the name of the franchise, which has become the norm for other – read IPL – owners.
Trent Rockets (Hundred)
Since the competition is held in the UK and at high-profile centres across the country, a little bit of football magic is bound to rub off. Private equity firm Cain International, with the backing of Premier League giants Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly, jointly bought a 49 per cent stake in the Midlands side.
Boehly has quite a bouquet of sports teams with him, including the LA Lakers (NBA) and LA Dodgers (MLB).
Birmingham Phoenix (Hundred)
Another franchise in England and more interest from across the pond. NFL icon Tom Brady is one of the investors in Knighthead Capital, who were successful in a £40m bid for Edgbaston-based Phoenix. A percentage of that stake was sold to England football star Jude Bellingham.
Jamaica Tallawahs (CPL)
More than a decade back, star names had already started to make their move in the world of cricket. The Caribbean Premier League was and still is one of the more successful cricket leagues. Back in 2013, Hollywood star Gerard Butler bought stakes in Jamaican team Tallawahs.
The Caribbean league had long ago shifted its focus to the American market, owing to the futility of catering to the subcontinent audience due to time difference.
Barbados Tridents (CPL)
In the same season, another big Hollywood name got associated with Caribbean and franchise cricket. In 2013, Mark Wahlberg picked up a stake in defending champions Barbados Tridents.
And, after more than a decade, other Hollywood stars are now beginning to take an interest in the wider cricket world, with Ryan Reynolds – owner of Wrexham football club – reportedly keen to get into the Hundred.
Desert Vipers (ILT20)
The Glazer family have been eyeing a piece of the cricket pie for a few years. The Manchester United owners had failed in their bid to acquire new IPL franchises when they were put up for sale in 2021. The Glazers were easily outbid, but the desire to own a cricket franchise remained.
They shifted their focus to the DP World ILT20 in the UAE, where they bought the Desert Vipers franchise – the only non-IPL owned team in the league. Last year, the Vipers won the title with the help of top tier Pakistan players.
Indian Premier League
The league that started celebrity franchise partnership. Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was the most high-profile name associated with the league in 2008 when he bought the Kolkata franchise. Fellow Bollywood star Preity Zinta has been a long-term IPL franchise owner as well, taking control of the Punjab team.
