All eight of The Hundred‘s franchisees had obtained primary sponsors from non-gambling companies prior to the 2026 edition. Compared to past criticism of the ECB’s decision to allow betting companies to sponsor teams for a single season, this represents a significant shift.
After stakes in several of the franchises were sold to other investors, including IPL team owners and other private groups, the teams were permitted to create their own corporate alliances. Despite concerns regarding the sponsorship market, particularly in light of the Premier League’s restriction on front-of-shirt betting sponsors beginning with the 2026–2027 season, each team has successfully found a principal sponsor from outside the gambling industry.
“From next year, it’ll be banned.” The Hundred’s managing director, Vikram Banerjee, was quoted by Cricinfo as saying, “You have to acknowledge that gambling and the betting industry is a massive part of sports sponsorship.
[But] there’s no visible betting sponsorships from next year, which is a powerful stand and stronger than any other cricket league.”
“The ECB and I are very aware of the family audience and our goals as a brand. Our goal was to get it outlawed for this year. We had a wonderful conversation, and the [Hundred] board agreed, in my opinion, that it’s a chance for us to take a stance that is more powerful than any other sport in the world,” he continued.
Cricket Australia has long prohibited bookmakers from endorsing Big Bash League (BBL) clubs in an effort to maintain the league’s family-friendly image. Similarly, the Indian Premier League (IPL) market prohibits gambling.
Before The Hundred 2026, just three of the eight teams had front-of-shirt sponsors when the tournament’s outfits were unveiled on June 1. The remaining five teams, however, have since signed sponsorship agreements with companies in a range of non-gambling industries.
Banerjee stated, “We felt as a board that this year – with all the operational change that’s going on, all the transition that’s happening, plus, frankly, quite a challenging market with the Premier League going through changes and all the rest of it – [that] just a one-year transition period was helpful for some of the teams to see them through this year.” “It has shown to be effective in the end. For this year, we’ve developed a respectable, realistic, and practical strategy,” he continued.
