Sun TV to acquire UK-based cricket franchise

The company announced plans to invest in a club that is part of The Hundred, a limited-overs cricket league promoted by the England and Wales Cricket Board

by e4m Staff
Published: Jul 21, 2025 1:24 PM | 2 min read

Sun TV Network Limited, which currently owns cricket franchises SunRisers Hyderabad under the Indian Premier League (IPL) and SunRisers Eastern Cape under South Africa’s SA20 league, is set to expand its global presence in the sports arena. The company announced plans to invest in a club that is part of The Hundred, a limited-overs cricket league promoted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which is the UK equivalent of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“We are enhancing our global footprint into sports and are investing into a Club that is part of ‘The Hundred’, a cricket league for limited overs cricket promoted by The England and Wales Cricket Board, the equivalent of BCCI in the UK,” the company said in a statement.

The acquisition target is Northern Superchargers Limited, a UK-based cricket franchise participating in The Hundred. Sun TV described the entity as already profitable and well-positioned for future growth. “The Foreign Entity that we are acquiring, viz, Northern Superchargers Limited is already profitable and we believe that with growing global interest, ‘The Hundred’ is poised for greater financial success,” it said.

The deal is expected to be completed by December this year. With this move, Sun TV becomes one of the few Indian media and entertainment companies with active franchise ownership across multiple international cricket leagues.

Other Indian entities include Reliance Industries, which owns franchises in four leagues: Mumbai Indians (IPL), MI Cape Town (SA20), MI New York (Major League Cricket, USA), and MI Emirates (ILT20, UAE), giving it the widest global footprint among Indian sports franchise owners.

Similarly, the Knight Riders Group, backed by Red Chillies Entertainment and actor Shah Rukh Khan, operates Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL), Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL), Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ILT20), and Los Angeles Knight Riders (MLC).

GMR Group also holds stakes in Delhi Capitals (IPL), Dubai Capitals (ILT20), and Pretoria Capitals (SA20). Capri Global owns UP Warriorz in India’s Women’s Premier League and Sharjah Warriors in the ILT20. These investments highlight a growing trend of Indian companies scaling their sports investments globally through strategic franchise ownership.