Premier League Club Buys Stake in The Hundred Franchise

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) owners buying franchises left and right, a Premier League club has stepped up to secure a stake in Trent Rockets, a cricket franchise in England’s The Hundred. Chelsea Football Club owner Todd Boehly has expanded his sports portfolio by acquiring a 49% stake in Trent Rockets.  The deal, valued at just under £40m, places the total worth of the Rockets franchise at £79m.

Boehly’s investment comes through Cain International, a real estate investment company he co-founded with British businessman Jonathan Goldstein. Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, which hosts the Rockets at Trent Bridge, will retain the remaining 51% ownership of the franchise.

The sale of the Trent Rockets is part of a broader trend in The Hundred, with stakes in seven of the eight franchises now sold, generating over £500m in total. The entire league is currently valued at approximately £820m.

Nottinghamshire becomes the fifth host county to sell a 49% share in their franchise. Other notable deals include:

• Oval Invincibles: Surrey sold a 49% stake to the owners of IPL team Mumbai Indians for £60m.
• Birmingham Phoenix: Warwickshire sold their share to Birmingham City FC owners Knighthead Capital for £40m.
• Welsh Fire: Glamorgan sold their stake to IT entrepreneur Sanjay Govil for £40m.
• London Spirit: Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) sold a 49% share to a consortium led by Nikesh Arora for £145m.
• Manchester Originals: Lancashire sold 70% of their stake to the owners of IPL team Lucknow Super Giants for £81m.
• Northern Superchargers: Yorkshire sold their entire stake to the Sun Group, owners of IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad, for just over £100m.

The final franchise, Southern Brave, is expected to be sold later this week, with the co-owners of IPL team Delhi Capitals likely to acquire a 49% stake after their buyout of Hampshire.