- Atlanta and Toronto both under consideration as home of new franchise
- NZC to provide high-performance and operational support
- National governing body has option to invest in another new MLC franchise
A new Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise is set to begin play in 2027 with investment from New Zealand Cricket (NZC).
Terms have been agreed between national governing body NZC and US-based consortium True North Sports Ventures (TNS) for what is a first-of-its-kind agreement between a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and a franchise in a major professional cricket league.
The pact will initially see NZC provide high-performance and operational support, including coaching, management and support staff, as well as integrating the MLC franchise into NZC’s domestic high-performance ecosystem, before offering support in cricket infrastructure and turf management.
The national governing body has agreed to become a foundation investor in TNS and has the option to make a bigger equity investment before the end of 2025. It also can also invest in another MLC expansion franchise, which has been earmarked for 2031.
TNS is headed up by MLC co-founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan. The pair hold exclusive rights to own and operate two MLC expansion franchises, with TNS launching the first of these.
As well as NZC, other TNS investors include 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the National Football League’s (NFL) San Francisco 49ers, which owns newly promoted Premier League club Leeds United. The firm is also part of a consortium in talks to acquire Scottish soccer giants Rangers.
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Mehta and Srinivasan, who also co-founded North American cricket broadcaster Willow TV, are yet to confirm the home of the new MLC franchise but are exploring several markets, including the Canadian city of Toronto and Atlanta in Georgia. The yet un-named NZC-backed team will be formally announced later this year.
Having launched in 2023, MLC has piqued the interest of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, with owners of the Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians all controlling MLC teams. Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella also co-owns the Seattle Orcas.
The six-team MLC plans to expand to ten sides by 2031 and claims the number of cricket fans in North America to be 25 million.
The 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was also co-hosted by the US for the first time, while cricket will return for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics after a 128-year absence from the Games.
“This agreement marks a unique and exciting milestone for NZC,” said NZC chief executive Scott Weenink.
“As franchise cricket grows globally, NZC needs to adapt to seize strategic opportunities that ensure the sustainability of our cricket network.
“This helps diversify our revenue streams, expands our global brand and fan base, and creates new talent development and retention pathways for both our players and coaches.”
Mehta added: “TNS is delighted to partner with NZC, an organisation admired for its sustained success despite limited financial and playing resources compared to other international cricketing bodies.
“As founders of startups that have rapidly grown to established businesses, we see NZC as a perfect fit for our new franchise.
“With NZC’s expertise, our expansion franchise will elevate MLC’s world-class T20 product and support cricket’s rapid growth in our region.
“The potential for cricket in North America is immense, and we look forward to working with NZC to deliver on both our ambitions and theirs, including broader strategic and corporate opportunities globally.”
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