Reports: London-listed buyout firm expresses interest in acquiring 75% stake in The Hundred

England’s premier cricket tournament The Hundred might have only completed two seasons, but there seems to be a great demand from investors in order to give the tournament a financial boost and take it to the next level.

As per reports, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in recent weeks has received an offer from the London-listed buyout firm Bridgepoint Group to buy a 75% stake in The Hundred.

According to reports by Sky News, this is a “private equity approach that would see it (ECB) relinquish majority ownership of The Hundred while raising funds to inject into the sport's cash-strapped counties.”

Bridgepoint Group wishes to buy maximum stakes in The Hundred

Sky News in its report mentioned that a source close to the ECB stated that the Bridgepoint Group has expressed interest in acquiring a 75% stake in The Hundred which is estimated to inject an additional £300m into English cricket.

According to Sky News, “Allan Leighton, the serial company chairman who has worked with Bridgepoint on a number of its investments, is said to have been working with the firm on developing its proposed offer.”

Meanwhile, according to the ECB, The Hundred 2022 witnessed a turnout of over 500,000 spectators for the men's event while the women’s competition saw a record attendance of 271,000.

If ECB does join hands with the Bridgepoint Group for a new partnership, then it could turn out to be a morale-boosting deal for not only the cricket board but also for English cricket in general. The London-based private investment company has a reputation of having made phenomenal investments in other sports over the years.

Bridgepoint Group have been the proud owners of the MotoGP since many years. They also owned a sports marketing firm named Infront Sports & Media. The private equity firm had also expressed interest in investing in the Women’s Super League football. However, that did not happen and the deal was reportedly called off.