Two series will accompany the debut season of the competition.

the hundred cricket logo 2

ESPNcricinfo will broadcast two YouTube series while the debut season of The Hundred is played this summer.

After signing a content partnership with insurance company Superscript, ESPNcricinfo will create the Ton Talks vodcast, and The Hundred Challenge series.

Ton Talks will feature presenter Alexis Nunes speaking to cricket stars from the tournament in a relaxed setting. Current and ex-England players, including Ian Bell, Harry Gurney and Ebony Rainford-Brent - the first black woman to play for England and one of the faces of The Hundred’s TV coverage, will also be involved. 

In addition, The Hundred Challenge series will have influencers taking on a series of ‘100’ themed challenges to go with the hundred balls in each innings during the competition. Examples include facing a 100mph delivery, or trying to hit a 100m six.

The two series will be broadcast through the ESPNcricinfo YouTube channel, which has over eight million followers. They will also be distributed through its website and app, and to over 15 million followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Alan Fagan, vice-president of sports for Disney and ESPN in EMEA, said: “ESPNcricinfo has been covering cricket for almost 30 years and we are excited for this next important phase of the game’s development.”

“ESPNcricinfo’s innovative partnership with Superscript sees two digital-first brands come together to help grow the sport. We are thrilled to be working with them to bring cricket fans something new and exciting.”

Mai Fenton, chief marketing officer at Superscript, added: “We’ve been working with ESPN since October last year and it quickly became apparent how well our brand and audiences fit together - it was a natural next step to extend our partnership.

“ESPNcricinfo’s unrivalled knowledge of the sport combined with our forward-thinking and unconventional nature will help bring a fresh energy and approach to cricket coverage that complements the new format of the game.”

Sky Sports and the BBC are broadcasting The Hundred live, with it set to get underway with Oval Invincibles v Manchester Originals on 21 July. The tournament lasts a month until the men’s and women’s finals on 21 August.