The Hundred‘s transition to a franchise-led commercial model has prompted the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to make a temporary exception to its sponsorship policy after several teams struggled to secure front-of-shirt partners ahead of the new season. The one-year measure will permit betting sponsorships on playing kits in 2026 before a permanent ban comes into force the following year, according to an exclusive report by The Telegraph‘s Will Macpherson.
The decision comes as franchises prepare for the first season under the competition’s new ownership structure, with responsibility for securing commercial partnerships now resting with individual teams rather than the ECB. As the tournament approaches, a number of franchises are still working to complete sponsorship agreements, creating the possibility that some teams could begin the season without a principal shirt sponsor.
Commercial transition prompts temporary policy change
The sponsorship shortage led The Hundred Board, which includes representatives from all eight teams and the ECB, to approve a one-season exception allowing betting companies to become front-of-shirt partners under strict conditions.
The ECB nevertheless insisted the competition’s long-term position remains unchanged. An ECB spokesperson told Telegraph Sport, “While on-kit betting partnerships are permitted in county cricket and many other cricket leagues around the world, The Hundred Board has agreed that they should be banned in The Hundred given the competition’s family-friendly focus.”
The spokesperson added, “Ultimately this is a decision for teams to make, and given the transitional nature of 2026, some teams remained keen to have the option to pursue visible betting partners for this year’s competition only. Consensus was therefore reached amongst the teams to permit on-kit betting partnerships in 2026, subject to a number of strict parameters.”
The report states that those conditions limit betting partnerships to the 2026 season, with all teams having already agreed that on-kit betting sponsorship will be prohibited from 2027. Any agreement must also meet a minimum commercial value threshold, betting logos will not appear on children’s replica shirts, under-18 players will automatically wear logo-free kits, players may choose to remove betting branding on personal grounds, and restrictions will apply to betting-related activations at venues.
New franchise model reshapes sponsorship responsibilities
The 2026 edition is the first to be played following the ECB’s sale of stakes in all eight Hundred teams, with private investors joining the host counties in the competition’s ownership structure.
That shift has handed responsibility for sponsorship and ticketing to the franchises, allowing teams to negotiate and retain their own commercial partnerships rather than operating under the centrally managed model used in previous seasons. The competition has also undergone a wider commercial refresh, with three franchises adopting names linked to their Indian Premier League investors and five introducing new playing colours.
Under the previous model, front-of-shirt sponsorship was delivered through a central agreement with KP Snacks, with each team carrying one of the company’s brands. That arrangement has now been reduced to sleeve branding, leaving franchises to secure their own headline sponsors.
Sponsorship market remains challenging
Several teams have already completed front-of-shirt agreements, while others remain in discussions as kit production deadlines draw closer.
The report states that the sponsorship market has been affected by a combination of wider economic conditions, increased competition for commercial partners following changes to betting sponsorship rules in other sports, and restrictions created by some of the ECB’s existing commercial agreements, which prevent partnerships with competing brands in certain sectors.
Despite those challenges, there is confidence that every franchise will secure a commercial partner before the opening match, with the temporary betting sponsorship policy viewed as a short-term solution during the competition’s first season under its new commercial structure.
