Major League Cricket Is On The Rise In The US

After the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup delighted U.S. sports fans with top-tier cricket action across venues in Florida, New York, and Texas, Major League Cricket is gearing up for an exciting second season full of progress.

Major League Cricket is set to conclude its 21-match season this week, culminating in a thrilling four-team playoff to crown a new champion. Despite having six teams spread nationwide, all competitions have been held at dedicated cricket grounds in Texas and North Carolina. Remarkably, attendance numbers are on track to exceed the impressive 70,000 fans who turned up during the inaugural season in 2023.

One key strategy employed by Major League Cricket to attract a wider audience is its media rights arrangement with Willow by Cricbuzz, a specialised cricket channel. Willow has secured partnerships with mainstream regional sports networks in each team’s local market, including Bally Sports SoCal for Los Angeles, Monumental Sports Network for Washington, D.C., and NBC Sports Bay Area for San Francisco, among others. This tactic mirrors Willow’s successful approach during the T20 World Cup, where it aimed to increase visibility.

In terms of financials, Major League Cricket operates within a $1.15 million salary cap per team. Though this figure falls below the lavish budgets seen in global competitions like the Indian Premier League, which allows franchises to spend around $12 million annually, it remains competitive with leagues such as Cricket Australia ($2 million) and The Hundred ($1.3 million) in the U.K.

Liam Plunkett, a bowler for the San Francisco Unicorns and a member of England’s 2019 Cricket World Cup-winning team, commends the league’s quality and competitiveness. “The money is good. But also the product’s good,” remarks Plunkett, emphasising the high standard of play that attracts fans and players alike.

San Francisco’s acquisition of Australia national team captain Pat Cummins on a four-year deal before the season was a significant move that reflects the league’s ambition. Anand Rajaraman, co-owner of the Unicorns, reveals that making such signings has been surprisingly feasible due to the excitement surrounding the burgeoning U.S. cricket market.

Looking ahead, the league has ambitious plans for expansion, aiming to establish stadiums in each team’s market and grow the schedule to 34 games by 2025. With intentions to increase the number of franchises to 10, Major League Cricket is poised for continued growth and success in the American sports landscape.