Yorkshire CCC sale of Northern Superchargers franchise is done - and how much they will make from it
YORKSHIRE have confirmed that the £100.5m sale of Northern Superchargers has now been finalised.
The Indian conglomerate Sun Group has bought The Hundred franchise and will take full control from the start of October.
Yorkshire sold their entire 51 per cent stake in Superchargers, which is based at Headingley, after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) gifted controlling stakes in each of the eight Hundred franchises to the host venues.
The club stands to make around £59m from the sale and also that of the other seven franchises in money being spread throughout the game by the ECB.
Five of the other seven franchises also confirmed their deals on Wednesday – London Spirit, Birmingham Phoenix, Manchester Originals, Southern Brave and Welsh Fire. The ECB says that the other two, Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets, “remain on track”.
Yorkshire have already stated that their windfall will be used to help clear debts of around £25m and give them expenditure of some £3m-£4m, with the remaining cash to be invested.
Sanjay Patel, the Yorkshire chief executive, said: “This is a significant moment for everyone involved with Yorkshire cricket and the Sun Group.
“The Sunrisers are going to be a great partner for the club. It was clear from the first time we met them that they care about cricket and Yorkshire, and there are some very exciting times ahead of us.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the Sun Group for their support in getting us to this stage and look forward to welcoming them to the Yorkshire cricket family.
“The deal puts the club in a strong financial position, which has been far from the case for many years here, and we can start looking towards a very bright future.
“The first priority is clearing our debts. We will then be looking at how we can invest the surplus funds to not only safeguard the future, but enable us to flourish.
“Yorkshire cricket now has an opportunity to thrive, from the recreational game all the way through to our professional teams, and we will be focused on planning the next chapter in the club’s long history over the coming months.”
The club sees Sun Group, which also owns Sunrisers Hyderabad and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, as a perfect partner, even though there will remain a clear division between Superchargers and Yorkshire CCC.
Kaviya Maran, head of sports at Sun TV Network Limited (Sunrisers), said: “We’re excited to have acquired the Northern Superchargers and to begin this new chapter in close collaboration with Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
“Yorkshire’s proud cricketing heritage, its passionate fan-base, and the iconic Headingley stadium make this a truly special opportunity. We are committed to building upon that legacy.
“The Hundred has created a stage where tradition meets innovation and fans of all ages are tuning in.
“It’s a game-changer, and we are here to help push it even further. For someone who is passionate about the game’s future, especially bringing more women and younger fans into it, this investment felt like a no brainer.”
This year’s Hundred starts on Tuesday. Superchargers first match is against Welsh Fire at Headingley on August 7, with all games this season double-headers.