REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
Broadcast Production Services
Issued by: American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), on behalf of Major League Cricket (MLC)
RFP Release Date: 30 March 2026
Proposal Submission Deadline: 17 April 2026
1. Overview
American Cricket Enterprises (“ACE”), on behalf of Major League Cricket (“MLC”), is soliciting proposals from qualified companies to provide broadcast production services for Major League Cricket, under a three-year agreement commencing in 2026.
The 2026 season is expected to feature 34 matches across 22 transmission days, with match volumes yet to be determined for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. Respondents are encouraged to propose pricing structures and operational plans that allow for year-over-year flexibility while maintaining consistent production quality.
It is currently anticipated that matches will be staged at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium (Texas) the Oakland Coliseum (California) and the Knight Riders Cricket Field, Pomona (California) during the 2026 MLC season. The provisional schedule for the 2026 season is attached at Appendix A, with venue allocations being indicative only and subject to change.
Respondents should account for the operational and technical requirements of multiple venues and propose production solutions that are adaptable, as additional or alternative venues are contemplated over the term of the proposed arrangement.
History of Cricket in the USA:
Cricket has a deep yet often overlooked history in the United States. The sport was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly among early settlers and in cities like Philadelphia and New York. In fact, the first international cricket match was played between the U.S. and Canada in 1844, preceding the first baseball game. However, by the late 19th century, cricket’s popularity waned with the rise of baseball as the dominant bat-and-ball sport. In recent decades, driven by growing immigrant communities and global interest, cricket has seen a resurgence in the U.S., culminating in its inclusion in the LA 2028 Olympics and the launch of Major League Cricket (MLC), marking a new chapter in American cricket history.
Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games:
Cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympic Games marks a historic moment. In October 2023, the IOC officially approved cricket as one of five new sports for LA 2028, endorsing both men’s and women’s Twenty20 (T20) tournaments with six teams each. This marks cricket’s return to the Olympics for the first time since a single men’s match in Paris 1900. LA’s organizing committee chose the fast-paced T20 format to appeal to younger audiences and align with Olympic values.
As the host nation, the USA will automatically qualify in at least the men’s tournament, providing a powerful springboard for domestic cricket growth ahead of LA 2028. This milestone lays the foundation for both Olympic success and a lasting legacy for cricket in America.
Cricket Participation in the US:
The United States is home to over 200,000 active cricket participants, including players at the youth, amateur, collegiate, and semi-professional levels. This number continues to grow steadily, fueled by grassroots programs, community leagues, and increased visibility of the sport through initiatives like MLC and Minor League Cricket (MiLC). In terms of fandom, there are an estimated 20 million cricket fans across the country, many of whom come from South Asian, Caribbean, Australian, British, and other cricket-loving communities.
Partnership Intent & Approach:
Major League Cricket is an evolving, multi-year sports property operating in a dynamic venue and distribution environment. While this RFP outlines the expected baseline scope and technical requirements for the 2026 – 2028 seasons, MLC views broadcast production not as a static service but as a strategic partnership that will evolve alongside the League.
MLC’s ambition is to develop a broadcast product that is clearly differentiated within the growing global landscape of T20 cricket leagues, and that feels authentically American in tone, storytelling, and presentation, while remaining credible and respected within the global cricket ecosystem.
MLC is seeking a partner that is willing to come on this journey – bringing ambition, creativity and innovation, all whilst maintaining uncompromising standards of broadcast quality, reliability and operational discipline.
2. Organizational Summary
American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) is the commercial partner of USA Cricket and the primary investor behind the launch of Major League Cricket (MLC) – a professional T20 league in the United States. Formed in partnership with high-profile global investors, ACE has committed substantial funding toward developing cricket infrastructure, elite competitions, and fan engagement across the U.S.
Key areas of ACE’s involvement include:
- Running and expanding Major League Cricket (MLC) and Minor League Cricket (MiLC) – agreement in place to expand MLC to 8 teams in 2027 and 10 teams in 2031 and opportunity to expand MiLC to at least 32 teams.
- Maximizing the commercial revenues from the US National Teams.
- Investing in world-class cricket stadiums and academies.
- Supporting player development pipelines.
- Enhancing cricket’s reach and cultivating a growing community of fans.
Website: www.majorleaguecricket.com
3. Required Content of Bid Documentation
This Request for Proposal (“RFP”) is being issued to relevant parties inviting them to submit proposals in respect of the broadcast production of MLC matches across the forthcoming three seasons (2026 – 2028) in accordance with the Scope of Work and Production Specifications set out in Sections 4 and 5 to this RFP respectively.
As part of the proposal, all prospective vendors will be required to submit their financial proposal in the prescribed format by the deadline of Friday 17 April 2026 at 17:00 CST (Central Standard Time). The format for submissions of the financial proposals is attached at Appendix B to this RFP document.
Each proposal should clearly outline the total amount in United States Dollars, which the bidder is proposing to be the total fee for Broadcast Production Services (based on the below scope of work) for the 2026 MLC season.
In addition, respondents should include a short narrative outlining:
- Their vision for the evolution of MLC’s broadcast product over the next three seasons;
- How they will collaborate with MLC as venues, audiences and ambitions grow;
- How they balance innovation with broadcast reliability and quality assurance.
4. Scope of Work
As outlined in Section 1, the successful vendor will be responsible for the broadcast production of MLC matches from the commencement of the 2026 season until the conclusion of the 2028 season. The scope outlined below represents the baseline production requirement for the 2026 MLC season. It is anticipated that production scale, presentation and innovation may evolve over the term of the agreement, subject to mutual agreement and performance.
The successful vendor must provide the below services in accordance with the Production Specification set out in Appendix C of this RFP, including the minimum camera configuration and camera plan attached. In summary, the successful vendor must:
- Produce a continuous live HD (1080i, 59.94Hz) clean feed of each Match, with split audio tracks for International Sound and Broadcast English Commentary mix, and full match graphics.
- Provide a feed that is free of any audio-visual or graphical commercial element unless authorized by MLC in writing.
- The transmission shall commence from at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled commencement of each match, with the successful vendor to work closely with MLC to determine appropriate content for the period prior to the commencement of the Match.
- Full and continuous uninterrupted transmission from the commencement of the Match and continuing until after the conclusion of the Post-Match Presentation, including the mid-innings break.
- All in-vision interviews and presentations shall be conducted with handheld microphones featuring a microphone flag with MLC branding only. It is expected that the highest quality foam microphone flag is used, in line with international standard productions.
- Provide an on-site point of contact for MLC’s appointed distribution partner to liaise directly and ensure successful live feed delivery, including the distribution of additional formats such as SRT, RTMP and LTN, as required. For the avoidance of doubt, the selected vendor may also serve as MLC’s appointed distribution partner.
- Work with MLC and the appointed distribution partner (if applicable) to support the integration of rights holder requirements as required, including (but not limited to) SCTE trigger insertion and closed captioning.
- Provide an audio feed of the Production Assistant/Director’s ‘talkback’ as part of the live feed as a guide for all foreign rights holders.
- Provide all facilities and engage all third-party vendors (e.g. HawkEye) involved in the complete Decision Review System (DRS) procedure, including all equipment, feeds and communications required by the TV Umpire and videoboards in-venue.
- Provide all feeds required on-site in team dressing rooms, PA desk and any closed-circuit networks within the venue. This includes providing multiple video feeds to support in-venue videoboard production, with the format, feeds and camera selection at the discretion of MLC.
- Engage all crew, including production, technical and presentation, necessary to provide the feeds described in this section.
- In conjunction with MLC, perform site assessments of all venues prior to the commencement of each season to assess the capability needed to deliver the standard of production outlined in this RFP document. Should any issues arise from these site assessments, the successful vendor should formally notify MLC at the earliest possible opportunity.
- Manage and co-ordinate the rigging and de-rigging of all OB Equipment at each venue.
- Provide MLC with a full production plan for each venue, along with Risk Assessments and Method Statements.
- In conjunction with MLC (who retain final approval), design and develop opening and closing titles sequences, closing billboards and break bumpers for use in the live feed.
- In conjunction with MLC (who retain final approval), design and develop all graphical elements of the live feed, taking into consideration MLC’s commercial partners, logos, assets and other integrations.
- In conjunction with MLC (who retain final approval), design and develop all transition wipes including, but not limited to, “fall of wicket”, 4, 6, 50, 100 and any other milestone moment during a Match.
- Engage all commentators (subject to MLC approval) and clear all commentary for worldwide use.
- Working closely in conjunction with MLC, produce features on players, teams, venues and locations for incorporation into the live feed.
- Ensure that all music featured in the live feed is fully cleared in perpetuity across all media worldwide.
- Provide a daily production running order to MLC’s selected distribution partners prior to each day’s play.
- Provide a daily commentary and presentation schedule to MLC’s selected distribution partners prior to each day’s play.
- Be responsible for all logistics, freight and transportation of all production equipment to and from each venue used during the tournament.
- Provide locational coverage and scenic shots to promote the local market within the United States.
- The successful vendor is encouraged to work closely in conjunction with MLC to present enhancements, innovations and technology to be integrated into the live feed, however the inclusion of such items will be solely at the discretion of MLC.
- The successful vendor shall be responsible for the capture, inclusion and delivery of all match content, including any B-Roll, feature stories and supplementary footages generated throughout the tournament. Deliverables shall include:
– One (1) digital master copy of every match, inclusive of full commentary and graphics; and
– One (1) complete set of ISO fees of all wickets and sixes from each match.
- All content must be delivered to MLC no later than ten (10) days following the conclusion of the season. Each match shall be delivered by via secure digital transfer and/or physical media (HDD), as agreed with MLC. This should include clear labelling with match details, date and content description.
- Respondents are encouraged to propose solutions that incorporate a workspace for the in-venue videoboard control room, including scalable and temporary installations, and describe how this operation would integrate with the core production workflow.
- The successful vendor will be required to work with MLC’s appointed power supplier to ensure all production equipment (fly-pack or broadcast truck) is fully compatible with U.S. electrical standards, including voltage and frequency requirements, and to mitigate any issues related to non-compatible power specifications (e.g., 50Hz v. 60Hz).
- MLC and the successful vendor will undertake structured post-season reviews and forward planning to agree any changes to production scale, scope, or approach for subsequent seasons.
End Credit and Broadcast Production Partner Branding
- The successful vendor must display a copyright notice at the end of the live feed in the form: “©[Year] MLC– all rights reserved” and must incorporate the following end credit: “A [Production Partner’s Name] production for Major League Cricket”, including the MLC logo delivered to the successful vendor for incorporation into such credit. For the avoidance of doubt, the branding of the successful vendor shall not be displayed on the microphone cube or commentator uniforms, or in any audio or visual form of the feed.
Insurance
- The successful vendor will be required to procure at its own cost, appropriate levels of insurance to cover the following:
– General property insurance, including coverage for any loss, damage, fire or otherwise to the successful vendor’s deliverables and any other equipment provided or used, and personal property and equipment of those personnel providing the services during transit, storage and whilst at the relevant venues
– Public liability insurance
– Any other appropriate and customary insurance.
Note: It is assumed that MLC will source travel & medical insurances for the personnel required to produce and deliver the live feeds.
Additional Programming
- As part of the live feed mentioned above, it is expected that the successful vendor will work closely in collaboration with MLC and be responsible for the delivery of all presentation content, including any agreed pre-show, innings break or post-match show for each match. This may include, but is not limited to, the following:
– Pitch-side and/or studio presentation in-vision;
– Pre-produced features on both competing teams;
– Analysis of the match including highlights;
– Interviews with players and coaches;
– Season/match promotional edits for use on broadcast and digital channels;
– Features on supporters and activities within the venue and the host city, in order to promote the event and venue as required;
– In-match highlights delivered to MLC via its selected delivery method;
– Highlight packages (e.g. 1min, 3min) to be made available for news access;
– Production of various extended highlights (e.g. 5mins, 30mins and 1-hr) as required.
5. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated on:
- Commercial value and transparency
- Demonstrated experience delivering live cricket, ideally in North America
- Proven track record of delivering complex live events on time and to specification
- Technical capability and operational execution
- Approach towards innovation and collaboration with MLC
- Editorial approach and content delivery
- Strength, relevance, and continuity of the proposed production team
Interested parties must have extensive and relevant prior experience of providing sports broadcast production services for a minimum of five years, with experience in Cricket highly preferred.
6. Submission Instructions
All proposals must be submitted by 17 April 2026 at 5pm Central Standard Time to:
–Johnny Grave, CEO, American Cricket Enterprises ([email protected])
–Justin Geale, COO, Major League Cricket ([email protected])
–Josh Dascombe, VP, Finance, Major League Cricket ([email protected])
The proposals should be labelled with the following subject line:
“ – Proposal: MLC Broadcast Production Services (2026–2028)”.
Any questions regarding this RFP may be sent prior to 10 April 2026. All queries and requests should be in writing and submitted direct to MLC – [email protected]
10. Timeline
| Milestone | Date |
| RFP Issued | 30 March 2026 |
| Deadline for Questions | 10 April 2026 |
| Proposal Submission Deadline | 17 April 2026 |
| Selection and Notification | 24 April 2026 |
| Project Kick-Off | 27 April 2026 |
11. General Provisions
Submission of a response to this RFP shall constitute acknowledgment and acceptance of the standard terms and conditions set forth herein, including agreement to the following:
- ACE shall not be responsible for any costs incurred by proposers in connection with the preparation, submission, or presentation of responses to this RFP.
- Proposals must contain accurate, complete, and current information as required. Incomplete, ambiguous, or misleading responses may be grounds for disqualification.
- ACE reserves the right, at their sole discretion and without liability or obligation, to modify, suspend, cancel, or reissue this RFP at any time for any reason.
- ACE reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals in whole or in part, to waive irregularities, and to award contracts based on the best interests of the project.
- By submitting a proposal, proposers irrevocably waive any right to protest or claim damages related to the RFP process.
- Proposers shall hold ACE and their respective representatives harmless from and against any losses, liabilities, or claims arising from their response or participation in this RFP.
- All concepts, documents, materials and/or ideas submitted by any proposer shall, upon their submission, be the property of ACE.
- This RFP is confidential and intended only for the use of invited proposers. It may not be copied, distributed, or disclosed without prior written consent from ACE.
- Submission of a proposal does not create any contractual or legal relationship between ACE and any proposer.
- Shortlisted proposers may be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to further discussions or access to non-public information.
- All proposals must remain valid and binding for a period of 90 days from the submission deadline. During this time, proposers shall not withdraw or modify their proposals, and ACE may select a proposer and negotiate a final agreement based on the submitted proposal.
