COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado: The Times Group is committing $1 billion over the next decade to develop a professional T20 cricket league in the US.
The launch of the new professional league is slated for 2021.
American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), an entity that lists Times Group MD Vineet Jain, Satyan Gajwani, head of Times Business Solutions (a division of Times Internet Ltd), Willow TV founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, as its promoters, is the commercial partner to USA Cricket for the league.
How does Willow TV fit into the frame? The main US broadcaster for major international cricket events is a subsidiary of Times Internet.
USA Cricket’s long-term agreement with ACE marks the most ambitious venture ever undertaken in the American cricket landscape. It will result in over $1 billion being invested into the development of cricket in the US. The $1-billion investment will happen over a 10-year period.
The selection of ACE as USA Cricket’s strategic partner concluded a multi-stage evaluation process that began in November 2018 with a public invitation for proposals for building a US-based T20 professional league.
“USA Cricket is excited to partner with ACE to launch a professional cricket league in the United States. We were thoroughly impressed by their comprehensive proposal,” said Paraag Marathe, USA Cricket Board chairman.
“Times acquired Willow in 2016 with a vision to make cricket a mainstream sport in America. With a world-class T20 league, we will make cricket a prominent sport in the country and a competitive force in global cricket,” said Gajwani.
“We want to develop a lasting institution that brings to the US the excitement and passion of cricket, enjoyed by billions of people globally. True grassroots development of any sport takes decades and we are excited and committed to play a role in developing world-class cricket in America.”
A key highlight of ACE’s proposal is distribution, sponsorship and exposure for the professional league and for USA Cricket’s national teams via major TV and digital broadcast platforms, led by Willow TV which has over 4 million subscribers and is the main US broadcaster for major international cricket including: the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) championships and matches from the Indian Premier League, Cricket Australia, the England Cricket Board, Cricket South Africa, Cricket West Indies, the Pakistan Super League, the Pakistan Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket.
In addition to the Willow assets, ACE and USA Cricket will seek out “free to air” platforms as well to ensure mainstream audiences are exposed to the league.
ACE has begun major infrastructure investment towards international grade cricket venues in several US metropolitan markets and is also working to develop additional turf cricket pitches and auxiliary facilities in more than a dozen locations. Based on a major/ minor professional league model, the new facilities will for the first time provide the ability to stage and support major domestic and international cricket at all levels in the US. In addition, ACE will provide support for USA Cricket’s men’s and women’s national teams to ensure they can capitalise on their recent successes at the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 and the ICC Women’s Americas Qualifier, respectively.
Focused on staging the highest quality T20 cricket for US cricket fans, the league will feature top international players from the US and around the world, combined with a focus on pathways to develop a homegrown player pool for USA Cricket and the league. A major component of ACE’s plans are the developmental academies around the country that will be aligned to the league teams and will help foster and develop talent at youth levels to ensure a strong pipeline of cricket players of the highest calibre.
