Is this the future of Poker Viewership?

The future of poker viewership puts fans front and center, enabling them to watch, play, and win. 

PokerGO® and INTHEGAME partnered during the World Series of Poker to deliver first-screen viewer engagement on PokerGO.com. 

If you’ve ever watched High Stakes Poker or any of the other popular poker shows available on PokerGO.com, chances are that, aside from learning a few tips or tricks, you’ve had an opinion on how to play certain hands or attempted to predict the outcome of a bluff. Utilizing INTHEGAME’s unique technology together with PokerGO’s premier content, audience members were delivered next-gen interactive viewing that they took to immediately. 

“We saw great engagement by our viewers,” said Dan Gati, Executive Producer of PokerGO. “INTHEGAME is an important tool in our comprehensive strategy to engage viewers and drive viewership. It also offers new branding, advertising, and e-commerce opportunities.”

Yaron Kottler, CSO at INTHEGAME: “We are excited to partner with PokerGO to deliver first-screen engagement and monetization. The media industry is discovering that there are new ways to enhance subscription and ad supported models, while INTHEGAME offers a golden opportunity for broadcasters and rights holders to engage viewers and monetize. Simply put, INTHEGAME is the third way to monetize video content.”

NBA and Sorare announce partnership and launch of NFT Fantasy Game

National Basketball Association (NBA), National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and Sorare today announced a multiyear partnership that makes Sorare the Official NFT Fantasy Partner of the NBA. Sorare will launch the first officially licensed, free-to-play digital collectible-based fantasy basketball game, which will be released this fall for the NBA’s 2022-23 season.

The game will provide fans a new opportunity to interact with the league and compete through a unique fantasy gaming experience that offers users the ability to create a lineup of NFT-based digital collectibles representing their favorite players and teams to earn points based on the real-life performance of NBA players. As part of the partnership, Sorare will have the rights to utilize official NBA league and team logos across its products.

“Our partnership with Sorare will give NBA fans an entirely new way to engage with our teams and players,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “With Sorare’s emerging NFT fantasy platform, we see significant opportunities to broaden our community of fans and grow NBA basketball around the world.”

https://twitter.com/Sorare/status/1567481971953045512

“Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world and we are excited to bring fans even closer to their favorite teams and players through Sorare: NBA,” said Nicholas Julia, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Sorare. “The NBA has been at the forefront of digital experiences and collectibles and our game gives basketball fans the ultimate sports entertainment experience, where they can play like a general manager, own their game, and foster real-world connections.”

“Sorare has built an innovative gaming experience that creates a whole new way for fans worldwide to interact with and learn more about our players,” said Tamika Tremaglio, NBPA Executive Director. “We are very excited about this partnership and the effect Sorare will have on the growth of the players and the game globally.”

The new gameplay experience builds upon Sorare’s two million registered users across 185 countries, including markets across Europe and Asia where the company is seeing rapid growth in its soccer game. The partnership marks Sorare’s third with a U.S. sports league, cementing the company’s expansion in the U.S.

The Sorare: NBA free-to-play fantasy game leveraging collectibles backed by non-fungible technology will launch this fall. To sign up for the waiting list, visit sorare.com/NBA.

Manchester United announce Thereabody as new partner

Manchester United and global wellness technology leader, Therabody have deepened their relationship by becoming global partners in a multi-year agreement.

The partnership will expand Manchester United’s use of Therabody products and solutions as part of the training and recovery regimes of both the men’s and women’s teams – and showcase their benefits to the club’s global fan base.

Therabody is pioneering the future of recovery and self-care through its ecosystem of solutions that help people feel better, move better, and live healthier lives. Its products are backed by science and bring previously inaccessible technology to everybody.

Therabody’s devices help United’s players meet the physical demands of a sport that involves the use of every muscle in the body, from your brain to your feet; research shows that players cover anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 metres or more in a 90-minute match. Matches are long and fast-paced, requiring constant running and short sprints during active play. Because of this type of activity, proper warmup and cool down is imperative to attaining full recovery and preventing injury.

Manchester United will have access to Theraguns in their training facilities to help improve their athletic performance and prevent injury during practices and matches. Football provides cardiovascular and muscular fitness, but the majority of the work is done by the legs. The team’s access to Therabody’s pneumatic compressions device range, including RecoveryAir’s JetBoots, in the training rooms and on all away trips will be game-changing for their recovery; the devices’ fully wireless design makes it easier and more convenient to relax and recover from anywhere, even fitting in a carry-on suitcase. 

Therabody’s ecosystem of wellness solutions including Theragun, the world’s first handheld percussive massage therapy device, RecoveryAir pneumatic compression boots, and Wave Series vibration therapy rollers have been integrated into Manchester United’s first team players’ medical, training, and recovery process for several years, most recently on the Club’s 2022 pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.

As part of the global partnership, players, and training staff will participate in education sessions with performance and wellness experts from Therabody University, the company’s educational division. Working with United’s medical team, Therabody experts will develop specific protocols to give players the knowledge to optimise their use of Therabody’s devices, showing how habitual use can assist in accelerating recovery, preventing injuries, and improving overall athletic performance. 

Victoria Timpson, Manchester United’s CEO of Alliances and Partnerships, said: “By gaining access to Therabody’s tried-and-tested range of scientifically backed products and expertise, this partnership will support our players and staff in the pursuit of success on the pitch.

“The partnership also aims to give United’s global audience access to the same in-depth performance education so they too can easily take control of their training and recovery in the same way as their favourite players, through the use of Therabody products.”

Dr. Jason Wersland, Founder and Chief Wellness Officer of Therabody, said: “Manchester United has been at the forefront of utilising our technology to assist with training and recovery for several years and this partnership is a natural extension of our relationship. Educating their players, staff, and passionate global fanbase on the importance of ownership in self-care is paramount to Therabody’s mission. We are proud to work with the most successful club in British football, whose values of innovation and determination, as well as their drive to be a world leader, align perfectly with our own.”

Manchester United joins more than 250 professional athletes, sports teams, celebrities, elite trainers and medical practitioners globally by using Therabody’s ecosystem of industry-leading devices. 

Scuderia AlphaTauri announce partnership with GMG (Dubai)

Scuderia AlphaTauri is delighted to announce GMG (Dubai) Limited as Official Partner, starting from the 2022 Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

GMG (Dubai) Limited, regulated by the DFSA (Dubai Financial Services Authority) is an Inter-dealer brokerage house established in 2009 in DIFC, the fast-emerging financial epicentre of the Middle East. GMG has grown rapidly over the years through a relentless focus on Options, Futures, Derivatives and Bonds in MENA, GCC and Emerging Markets including Sub-Saharan, North and South Africa, C3 (Czech, Poland & Hungary) and Russia, becoming one of the most respected and distinguished inter-dealer brokerage houses in the region.

“Speed is synonymous with Formula One, and now the sport is moving faster than ever before. The addition of GMG to our partnership network is a logical and natural fit for Scuderia AlphaTauri, as we are both challengers competing on a global stage where the only limiting factor is the pace of innovation,” said Franz Tost, Team Principal of Scuderia AlphaTauri. “We are thrilled to welcome GMG to the team and look forward to a strong cooperation between our organisations.”

Marco Saviozzi, CEO of GMG (Dubai) Limited, remarked: “Three primary characteristics underpin everything we do here at GMG: quality, speed and precision. All three are as important in the fast-paced environment in which we work as they are in Formula 1, where split-second decisions and flawless execution are crucial in determining the final result. The financial markets, like F1, have historically been dominated by a few big teams. GMG prides itself on currently being the Best of the Rest. I believe the absolute desire to attain number one status through drive, determination and sheer force of hard work can put both GMG and Scuderia AlphaTauri in their rightful place – on the top step of the podium. It’s the mutual desire to succeed that I believe will make this partnership a special one.” 

DAZN acquires rights to Primera Division Profesional de Futbol Femenino

DAZN has acquired the global rights to Spain’s top women’s football competition Primera División Profesional de Fútbol Femenino for the next five seasons.

The deal adds to DAZN’s women’s football portfolio, which includes the global rights to the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and further strengthens the platform’s commitment to raising the profile of women’s football around the world.

“We couldn’t be prouder to build on our commitment to increase the visibility of women’s football by becoming the new global broadcaster for LPFF,” said Shay Segev, chief executive of DAZN Group.

“We want to make the players, coaches and clubs household names and an inspiration for the next generation of footballers and fans around the world.” 

LaLiga and Galaxy Racer team-up in joint venture aimed at taking over MENA region

LaLiga, Spain’s top-flight football competition, and Galaxy Racer (GXR), the Dubai-based transmedia multinational, have signed a Letter of Intent paving the way for the formation of a 15-year Joint Venture (JV) which will transform the sport league’s brand presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
region and Indian subcontinent.

GXR, founded in 2019 by Group CEO Paul Roy, is the largest esports, gaming and lifestyle organisation in the world with a presence in the MENA region, North America, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Europe.

The JV positions GXR as LaLiga’s local partner in the MENA market and Indian subcontinent, setting up a historic first for the world of sports rights in the territories which is projected to yield over €3 billion in revenue.

Following the signing of the Letter of Intent, the parties entered an exclusive period to conclude contract details and the establishment of the JV. As agreed in the Letter of Intent, LaLiga and GXR will each hold a 50% stake in the new JV.

The JV will offer LaLiga new avenues and opportunities to increase brand presence across a key target region that is one of the youngest on the planet with more than 1.3 billion people aged under 30.

In addition, the Joint Venture will act as the media rights agency for the broadcast and media rights for the MENA and Indian subcontinent.

The deal provides LaLiga an innovative pathway to share its intellectual property (IP) through a local partner already offering considerable market reach – GXR has over 500 million followers worldwide – and a platform for growth that leverages expertise in six key verticals: licensing, content creation, esports, influencer/talent management, merchandising and music.

Paul Roy, CEO & Founder of Galaxy Racer said: “The LaLiga brand is powerful, but its potential remains untapped amongst Millennials and GenZ in the MENA region and Indian subcontinent.

“Our opportunity is to connect with a younger audience in a way that resonates with them. Galaxy Racer has a market reach that will help unlock that potential and elevate LaLiga to an aspirational brand for target audiences in the region.”

LaLiga Executive Director Oscar Mayo added: “With the market set to enter a new era of growth, this is the right moment to take our business in the region to the next level and attract the next generation of younger sport fans to our competition.

“This historic partnership is set to boost the popularity of LaLiga and football in MENA and the Indian subcontinent. With Galaxy Racer’s extensive experience in the region as one of the world’s largest transmedia powerhouses we believe they are the ideal partner to help us reach a fresh new audience and unlock the true potential of LaLiga in the region.

“Partnering with Galaxy Racer is a major milestone in our international expansion strategy,” added Maite Ventura, LaLiga’s managing director for the Middle East and North Africa, “This agreement ensures not only a bright future for football in MENA and the Indian subcontinent, but also for LaLiga and our clubs.

“Success for us is seeing more of the younger crowd playing and enjoying the game, we want to tap into the hearts and minds of the millennials and GenZ. With Galaxy Racer’s expertise in the market, we will be able to truly build fan loyalty and position LaLiga as a top-of-mind brand for football and lifestyle.”

The deal will help LaLiga to speak to younger audiences meaningfully, through content creation and a crossover focus on gaming and esports, as well as new consumer products – from apparel to collectibles – and a wide range of activations ushering in a new way of thinking for the world of football and sport.


A key strength of the agreement is the creation of a production studio for the JV. The studio will harness Galaxy Racer’s extensive experience in licensing, product development and content generation, production and broadcasting in a region seen as one of the fastest growing territories in the business of sport thanks to a major pipeline of investments in areas such as golf, boxing, F1 and horse racing in recent years, as well as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 which is set to take place later this year.

Based in the UAE, the JV will feature a team of around 20 people dedicated to developing the brand and securing new business opportunities, with a five-person board of directors including Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Maite Ventura. Luis Cardenas, Commercial Director for LaLiga MENA, will be chief commercial officer (CCO).

The JV will work in coordination with the league’s delegates based in Morocco, Egypt, Qatar,
KSA, Turkey, Israel, India and the UAE, a key component for the regional growth.

DP World Tour’s new Hero Cup to take place in Abu Dhabi

The DP World Tour today announced the Hero Cup, a new team match play contest aimed at giving European players experience in the format, will take place at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 13-15, 2023. 

Two ten-man teams comprising players from Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe will be selected by Luke Donald, who will preside over the event in his capacity as 2023 European Ryder Cup Captain, in consultation with the two team captains, who will be named in due course. 

Donald will work with both teams in Abu Dhabi and will keep a close eye on the action inside the ropes across the three days, with the contest consisting of one session of foursomes, one session of fourballs and one session of singles matches, with all 20 players taking part in each session. 

He said: “One of the first things I was keen to do when I was appointed as Ryder Cup Captain was to reinstate a team match play contest to give playing and leadership experience to future Ryder Cup players, vice-captains and Captains. 

“I spoke to a number of former Ryder Cup Captains who were strong advocates of how similar events in the past have benefitted players who were pushing to make Ryder Cup teams, as well as their own captaincy journey. 

“I am therefore grateful to Hero MotoCorp and the DP World Tour for supporting the concept of the Hero Cup and I look forward to seeing the players compete at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in January.”

The two teams will be confirmed following the conclusion of the 2022 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, with performance on the DP World Tour Rankings taken into account in the player selection process. 

The Hero Cup extends Hero MotoCorp’s long-term relationship with the European Tour group which began at the 2015 Hero Indian Open. Since then, Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles, has also supported the Hero Challenge, a series of fast-paced showpiece events and short form social and digital content, which have taken golf to new audiences, as well as the Hero Open which has featured on the DP World Tour schedule since 2020. 

Dr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman & CEO, Hero MotoCorp, said: “We have always supported innovation in golf and this new team match play event on the DP World Tour is certainly an interesting format. 

“We are happy to extend our long-term partnership with the European Tour Group. I am sure the Hero Cup will support and provide an opportunity to the talented European players to showcase their incredible skill to a global audience. We are excited to be part of this.”

Guy Kinnings, European Ryder Cup Director and the DP World Tour’s Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The Hero Cup is another example of Hero MotoCorp’s commitment to innovation in golf and to our Tour in general. We are therefore extremely grateful to Dr. Munjal for his continued support and for backing this new event which is an evolution of our proud tradition of team match play events. 

“Our thanks also go to Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Emirates Golf Federation for their support of the DP World Tour, and to Abu Dhabi Golf Club for hosting this event which will be a fantastic way to start the 2023 calendar year.”

His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the Hero Cup at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, adding yet another fantastic tournament to our roster of world class sporting events. 

“Team match play is always an exciting format and along with our Rolex Series event the following week at Yas Island, we are thrilled to welcome the DP World Tour players to Abu Dhabi for two consecutive weeks at the start of 2023.”

NFL agrees new TV rights deal with RTL and DAZN for German-speaking market

RTL Group (RTL) and DAZN have entered into long-term media distribution agreements with the NFL for the German market, offering German football fans more NFL games than ever before. The broadcast groups’ multi-year collaboration with the NFL will start with the 2023/2024 season.

The award of TV rights for the coming years will enable NFL fans in Germany to watch over 170 live games per season. The new agreements with RTL and DAZN will provide nearly 30% more live NFL games in Germanthan before. In addition, the two broadcasting groups are planning numerous new programming formats.

Sameer Pabari, Managing Director, International Media at National Football League (NFL): “We are thrilled to announce our two new media partnerships in Germany. From the 2023/2024 season, German NFL fans will be able to watch more live game broadcasts in German, and more weekly programming showcasing the best of the action on and off the field, than ever before. Both RTL and DAZN are committed to further developing the sport of football across the German speaking market with innovative content concepts, new approaches to broadcasting, and truly cross-platform distribution plans, ensuring that NFL continues to reach new audiences and grow the number of fans in the region for years to come. At the same time, we would like to thank our current free-to-air TV partners ProSieben and ProSieben MAXX for their longstanding partnership. Their support has been instrumental in developing the sport and the NFL fan base in recent years.”

Under the new RTL agreement, starting with the 2023/24 season, RTL and NITRO will be the exclusive free-to-air TV partners of the NFL in Germany. In addition, exclusive games will be shown live each week on RTL+. Between September and February of each season, football fans can look forward to almost 80 live broadcasts.

NFL programming will begin in 2023, with the agreement including April’s NFL Draft, the preseason, weekly regular season games, each season’s in-market Germany Game, the Playoffs, the Pro Bowl and the international sporting event of the year, the Super Bowl, with its huge interest to fans worldwide and its legendary half-time shows. The wide-ranging sports rights package is complemented by extensive highlight and original programming across all platforms.

Henning Tewes, Managing Director RTL Television and Chief Content Officer RTL Germany: “With the acquisition of the NFL rights, we are strengthening our programs sustainably for many years to come – this applies to RTL as well as to NITRO and our fast-growing streaming offering RTL+. This investment underscores our ambition as a broadcasting group to remain Germany’s leader in the advertising-relevant target group in the future. Viewers can look forward to highly attractive live sports from the USA. In the NFL, we have a highly professional partner who is also focused on growth, and we are very much looking forward to working with the world’s most successful professional league.”

The new DAZN agreement sees the NFL extending a long-term partnership that has taken the sport to many new viewers. On September 11, the 2022 regular season coverage kicks off on DAZN with the first ‘ENDZN’ of the season, where fans can experience all the action from all games as they happen. As last year, DAZN will offer its exclusive German-language ENDZN coverage in the DACH region every Sunday on DAZN. In addition, DAZN will also broadcast NFL RedZone and all ‘primetime’ games on Thursday, Sunday and Monday night.

The new agreement includes a new addition to the NFL’s broadcast calendar on DAZN. Starting with the 2023/24 season, DAZN will broadcast exclusively one early kickoff time game (7:00 p.m.) and one late kickoff time game (10:25 p.m.) every Sunday. These games will not be available on free TV.

The new season marks a landmark for Germany, with the inaugural Germany Game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks in Munich on November 13. Next year, another regular-season game will be played in Frankfurt. DAZN will be live at both games, with the new rights agreement including co-exclusive broadcast rights to each season’s Germany Game, starting in 2022.

“American football and enthusiasm for the NFL have been growing rapidly in German-speaking countries for years, to which DAZN’s strong partnership with the NFL has contributed significantly. Innovative formats like ‘ENDZN’, which fans can only experience on DAZN, and the most comprehensive live as well as editorial coverage in German, make the NFL one of the most popular leagues among DAZN subscribers. That’s why I’m delighted that we’ll be able to present it to fans for many years to come via DAZN and the linear channels DAZN1 and DAZN2,” said Alice Mascia, head of DAZN in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

WSL launches new promotional campaign ahead of 2022/23 season

As the stars of women’s football prepare to be unleashed once more to domestic audiences, the Barclays Women’s Super League is marking the start of the 2022/23 season with a new promotional campaign which shows the league is an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

The hero film aired for the first time at the weekend on ITV during the England vs Austria match broadcast. Celebrating the incredible talent, fierce rivalries and the biggest names in the game, the filmhighlights the very best the Barclays Women’s Super League has to offer.

After an incredible summer of football where England were crowned champions at UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, the campaign shows the standout stars from the Euros playing week in, week out in the BWSL. The ambition is to create a huge moment of impact, building on the momentum of the Euros to make the 2022/23 season a record-breaking one.

Spanning national TV advert slots and billboards to digital and social media, the campaign will be impossible to miss, with the OOH element going live from 5th September on some of the largest retail screens in Europe in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool. The campaign is backed by league partners Sky Sports, BBC, Barclays, EA and Nike, who are all launching their own season launch campaigns to help make the 2022/23 season the biggest yet.

Kelly Simmons, Director of the Women’s Professional Game at The FA, commented: “We’ve just witnessed an incredible summer of women’s football that defied every expectation. The Lionesses have done a tremendous job in opening women’s football to a new legion of fans, the job now is ensuring this translates to attendance figures in the BWSL. We’ve already seen record-breaking demand from fans wanting to continue their interest in women’s football and the season launch campaign is about ensuring that momentum continues into the opening weekend and throughout the 2022/23 season. The film shows that the product on offer in the BWSL is world-class and one that can appeal to everyone.”

With many clubs already reporting record-breaking ticket sales following the Euros, the 2022/23 BWSL season promises to be the biggest yet. The season opens 10th September, with some huge fixtures lined up the club’s main stadiums, including Chelsea vs West Ham at Stamford Bridge, Tottenham vs Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Brighton vs Aston Villa at the Amex.

With ticket demand higher than ever, records already look set to be broken before the season even starts. Arsenal are on course to break the BWSL attendance record, with 38,500 tickets sold for their fixture against Tottenham on 24th September. The record is currently held by Tottenham, set at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November 2019 for the same fixture.

ECB announce figures showing success of The Hundred’s second edition

Following The Hundred’s showpiece final on Saturday, which saw Oval Invincibles crowned women’s champions and Trent Rockets lifting the men’s trophy, figures show more than 500,000 people attended games across the course of the competition.

The Hundred has once again excited cricket fans new and old with its innovative mix of high energy sporting action and epic entertainment. It is an integral part of the ECB’s strategic plan, Inspiring Generations, which aims to grow cricket and inspire a new generation to believe that it is a game for them, whether they follow a team, play the game, or attend a match.

This year has built on the inaugural summer of The Hundred when it comes to encouraging more families to get into the game. 22% of tickets went to children, up from 19% last year; 28% of ticket buyers were women, up from 21% last year; and families made up 41%, up from 36% last year.

2022’s edition of The Hundred also saw incredible support for the women’s game with 271,000 people attending – another global record for a women’s cricket competition. All eight venues also broke their previous best for domestic women’s attendances. The UK domestic record for a women’s game was broken twice at Lord’s (17,387 attended London Spirit vs Oval Invincibles on Saturday 27 August and 20,840 for The Hundred final), resulting in an average attendance of 10,400 for women’s games in 2022.

Through Sky and the BBC, a total of 14.1m people watched some of the action on TV, with women (31%) making up a significant share of the audience. Of this audience, 42% hadn’t watched any other ECB cricket in 2022 prior to The Hundred, resulting in 5.9m new viewers.

In addition, selected games across this year’s competition were live on BBC iPlayer, shown by Sky Sports on their YouTube channel and, for the first time, streamed on TikTok by Sky Sports. Millions more have caught up with the action through video clips online.

Viewers will have seen memorable moments throughout the competition, with Will Smeed hitting the first hundred, closely followed by Will Jacks, and Alana King taking the first hat-trick in the women’s competition. Overseas talent from cricketing powerhouses such as Australia, the West Indies, South Africa and West Indies was pitted against the best short-format home grown stars, with standout performances from Laura Wolvaardt and Dawid Malan with the bat and Amanda-Jade Wellington and Tom Helm with the ball.

Birmingham Phoenix captain Moeen Ali said: “I really enjoyed playing in this year’s competition, and there’s been some top quality cricket. It feels like there’s been more depth across all the squads and we’ve seen some standout performances from both big names but also rising stars. I’m already looking forward to next year’s draft to see how we shape up in 2023.”

Oval Invincibles batter Suzie Bates added: “Coming over from New Zealand, I was keen to experience The Hundred after seeing it last year and to finish up winning the competition is an unbelievable feeling. It is amazing that through the Commonwealth Games and now a domestic competition in The Hundred, we’ve been playing in front of massive crowds, which is amazing for women’s cricket, and why the biggest names in the game are coming to play here.”

As well as inspiring on the pitch, stars from The Hundred have played their part off it too. Communities across the UK have benefitted from over 150 activations engaging with over 10,000 children and young people, with over 300 players from all eight teams giving up their time to run training sessions, take selfies and chat to grassroots cricket players as well as those experiencing the sport for the first time. The eight teams’ social channels have seen strong growth this summer, rising by 76% overall, as more fans build an affinity with their Hundred superstars.

The Hundred supports this investment in grassroots cricket by providing another revenue stream for the game. The ECB is once again, on course to hit projections for surplus revenue of around £10m, which is then invested back into cricket. Last year’s surplus has helped to support, amongst other initiatives, bursaries to fund free places on All Stars and Dynamos courses. 

Sanjay Patel, Managing Director of The Hundred said: “It’s been brilliant to see more families, more kids and record numbers attending the games this year. The Hundred is all about welcoming more people into cricket, and it has delivered on that again this year. It’s wonderful to see and hear so many families being inspired by a mix of great cricket and great entertainment.

“Huge congratulations go to Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets for taking the titles this year. I would like to thank everyone involved for their contribution, from Sky and BBC, through to all our commercial partners, the host venues and the fans. You’ve helped to make The Hundred a fantastic, world-leading competition and grown cricket’s audience once again.”

For the second year in a row, the number of kids’ participating in cricket remains strong, with over 100,000 All Stars and Dynamos expected to have taken part in the programmes by the end of the year, with at least 27,000 being girls. As part of the programmes, Hundred Topps Cards have been given out to children to help inspire the next generations to emulate their heroes. Almost 20,000 free places have been offered to Counties, 10,000 through the ECB’s partnership with Sky Dynamos Intros and a further 10,000 funded through the ECB’s All Star bursaries.

Bryan Henderson, Sky Sports Director of Cricket said:“We couldn’t be happier with The Hundred after two years. Since its inception, the competition has reached more than 13.5m people across Sky Sports platforms and the aim of bringing cricket to new fans is proving successful as our audience over the last two years is younger and more diverse than other formats of the game, with more women watching than ever before. 

“Our award-winning coverage has again been well received, with our on-screen team proving incredibly popular for both new and existing cricket fans. We’re incredibly proud of implementing further innovations into our coverage to give the viewer even more insight into the game through technology such as helmet cam and power rating, while player avatars have once again proven popular.

“We’re thrilled to continue working with The ECB as we keep bringing this competition to cricket fans old and new until at least 2028.”

Exec Producer, BBC Cricket, Stephen Lyle said: “We are really proud of our extensive coverage of The Hundred, on TV, Radio and online this summer. To be able to bring new audiences to the world of cricket and see increased levels of engagement in local areas is integral to our offering at the BBC. It has also been a pleasure to witness breakout players star alongside world class talent and we can’t wait to see where The Hundred goes next.”