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What's Unique About New Zealand's Historic Deal With Major League Cricket?
Follow UsThis is the first of its kind deal where no club (franchise), but an entire board has decided to launch a team in a different T20 league than its own.
We have seen franchises having sister franchises in different cricket leagues of the world, evidenced by IPL teams’ sister franchises operating in leagues such as the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), SA20, Major League Cricket (USA) and ILT20 (UAE). This year, several IPL teams even bought stakes in The Hundred, making their foray into the English market.
However, what shocked the world on April 24 (Thursday) was the announcement by New Zealand Cricket, where they informed of their partnership with US-based company True North Sports Ventures (TNS) to launch a new team in Major League Cricket (MLC).
This is the first of its kind deal where no club (franchise), but the entire board has decided to launch a team in a different T20 league than its own. The team will be announced later this year and will start participating in MLC from the 2027 season onwards, when the league will expand to eight teams from its current format of six teams.
According to New Zealand Cricket’s website, “TNS is exploring several key markets across North America, including Toronto and Atlanta, to base the new franchise.”
In the deal, New Zealand Cricket will provide that team with high-performance and operational support, including coaching, management, and support staff, as well as integrating the franchise into NZC’s domestic high-performance ecosystem. In the second phase of development, NZC will offer expertise in cricket infrastructure and turf management.
So what will the board get in return? According to NZC chief executive Scott Weenink, “[This deal will] diversify our revenue streams, expand our global brand and fan base, and create new talent development and retention pathways for both our players and coaches.”