New Zealand Cricket to Launch First Full ICC Member-Backed Franchise in Major League Cricket, USA

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has made history by becoming the first full International Cricket Council (ICC) member to invest in a franchise in an overseas professional cricket league, partnering with True North Sports Ventures (TNS) to establish a new team in the USA’s Major League Cricket (MLC) set to debut in the 2027 season.

This unprecedented move involves NZC providing a mix of financial equity and operational support, including coaching, management, and support staff. The partnership will see NZC act as a foundation investor in TNS, with the option to increase its equity stake before the end of 2025 and potentially invest in another expansion franchise by 2031. The deal ensures NZC receives both annual revenue and future dividends as part of its investment.

The new MLC franchise is considering Atlanta and Toronto as possible bases. This collaboration will integrate the new North American team into NZC’s high-performance ecosystem, leveraging the national body’s expertise in cricket infrastructure and turf management to help shape the new team's operations and competitive standards.

This initiative comes as MLC continues its rapid evolution, planning to expand from six to eight teams by 2027 and ultimately to ten by 2031. MLC, a high-profile T20 league, has attracted top global talent and features a compact, action-packed season each summer, with matches played in North America’s leading venues.

With this landmark agreement, NZC aims to strengthen its global footprint, foster player development, and tap into the rapidly growing cricket market in the United States and Canada, setting a new benchmark for international cricket collaborations.