Immigrants' Game Gets A Makeover

The roar of fans at a stadium near New York during the India-Pakistan clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 might have seemed out of place in a country where baseball and basketball dominate. However, cricket’s roots in the US run deeper than many realise. Cricket arrived in the US as early as 1709, gaining popularity in elite academic institutions by the 19th century. However, after independence, as America distanced itself from British colonial influence, cricket was overshadowed by baseball, its homegrown alternative. Now, over three centuries later, it is making an unexpected comeback. Baseball and basketball generate billions in revenue in the US, while cricket, predominantly played by immigrants (mainly from India), would have to build mass appeal among locals. Crickets growing financial potential has contributed to its inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. But how much can the Olympics boost cricket’s presence in the US? Venu Pisike, Chairman of the Board of Directors at USA Cricket, the body that promotes cricket at all levels in the country, feels the T20 World Cup, held last year in the West Indies and US, was a breakthrough. “The big moment was the T20 India-Pakistan match (held in the US), and a lot of people got excited about it,” he says with a grin. Global sport? Cricket’s rise on the global stage has been evident for over two decades. A significant turning point came in the mid-1990s, with financial deals such as Sachin Tendulkar’s Rs 45-crore five-year pact with World Tel and the 1996 World Cup held in the subcontinent. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) solidified its position as a powerful governing body, popularising the sport not only in India, but also among the Indian diaspora. “The big reason for cricket reaching out to a larger global audience is predominantly to do with the Indian diaspora. More Indians settled overseas becoming affluent, plus technology, led to more people accessing the game,” Harsha Bhogle, a renowned commentator, explains. “If cricket was an English game played in India, it is now an Indian game, and the diaspora easily carry their love for it.” Immigrant populations have played a crucial role in spreading cricket beyond South Asia. In Europe, cricket’s popularity has surged, with many countries embracing the sport. “This demographic shift has contributed to the rapid growth of cricket in Europe, making it the largest growing sport in the region,” says Roger Feiner, CEO of the European Cricket League, which hosts 10-over matches across clubs in Europe. The Indian Premier League (IPL), which debuted in 2008, popularised the shorter T20 format. It is often hailed as the biggest innovation in cricket since the turn of the century. “The moment a sport starts to get entertaining, it will go mass. A lot of credit must be given to the IPL since it showed that a robust business model can be created through entertainment,” says Ajimon Francis, MD of Brand Finance India, an international brand valuation firm, says. THE SHORTER FORMATS The appeal of shorter formats isn’t limited to India. Leagues like the Abu Dhabi T10, the Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League, and Australia’s Big Bash League have gained traction internationally. Even China has a national cricket team. The popularity of the shorter format has helped other cricketing leagues raise money. In July 2023, Major League Cricket (MLC), a professional T20 tournament, was launched in the US with six teams, including Los Angeles Knight Riders and MI New York. The investors include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, technology entrepreneur Anand Rajaraman and Adobe’s former CEO Shantanu Narayen. “While the audience for the MLC will not be anywhere as large as for the IPL, the quality of the audience is extremely high, given that the Indian diaspora has the highest income ranking among all ethnic communities in the USA, with the rest of the South Asian diaspora added in too,” says Balu Nayar, former MD of IMG and a key architect of the IPL. The prime audience of the MLC will be the south Asian demographic in the US that numbers around 5.4 million. &quot;More Indians settled overseas becoming affluent, plus technology, led to more people accessing the game - Harsha Bhogle, Cricket Commentator&quot; “It was very well received and has given us a lot of confidence,” says Pisike. The USA under-19 women’s team played a three-match series against South Africa. The men too have slowly made a mark. “There is a lot of talent in the US coming from the immigrant families, with the next generation taking to the game,” he points out. However, Pisike maintains the game must be accepted by people outside that populace to make it “commercially viable.” If the US is the world’s largest economy, the potential from cricket cannot be ignored. “There is no doubt that 80% of cricket’s global revenues come from India but the US is the second-largest market in terms of viewership,” he adds. “We took our first step with the launch of the Champions League of Cricket in 2019, achieving remarkable global television success of 140 million viewers” - ROGER FEINER, CEO, EUROPEAN CRICKET LEAGUE AG NEED FOR ORGANIC GROWTH Despite the sport’s globalisation, challenges remain. Discussions around creating sustainable revenue models remain limited, particularly outside traditional cricketing nations. While leagues like the IPL and The Hundred have demonstrated commercial viability, emerging markets such as the US and Europe are still in early stages of monetisation. Historically, cricket’s revenue model has relied heavily on media rights, with broadcasting deals generating the majority of earnings. Matchday revenue from ticket sales plays a relatively minor role in the financial model. Organisations are working to address issues such as broadcast reach and revenue models. “We took our first step with the launch of the Champions League of Cricket in 2019, achieving remarkable global television success of 140 million viewers,” Feiner points out. Now, it hosts over 1,600 matches and has Dream11 as the main partner. Making cricket commercially viable would require consistent efforts. However, costs remain a barrier to cricket’s global growth. Unlike soccer, cricket requires significant investment in gear and infrastructure. “Building proper pitches and investing in equipment poses challenges,” says Francis. @krishnagopalan

Immigrants' Game Gets A Makeover

India's most popular sport is making giant global strides backed by diaspora, an audience-friendly short format, and a gush of money. Can it now capture the attention of a wider global audience?