Three franchises have been renamed and Sky Sports has reported a 38% rise in viewership as The Hundred enters its most commercially ambitious season to date
The Hundred kicked off its 2026 season yesterday with the 2026 rebrand of three championship teams – the Oval Invincibles are now MI London, the Northern Superchargers have become Sunrisers Leeds, and the Manchester Originals are now the Manchester Super Giants.
The ECB has also transitioned the eight Hundred franchises to private ownership, while Neilson Fan Insights Data reveals The Hundred has a 5.8 million-strong fanbase.
There are new brand partnerships too, with London Spirit partnering with Barclays; Trent Rockets partnering with Vitality; and MI London partnering with Sokin. The Hundred also recently partnered with Monzo as the competition’s first financial services sponsor, featuring branding across all eight venues and fan engagement activations.
The tournament also enters the 2026 season with significant broadcast momentum, with Sky Sports reporting a 38% increase in television viewership last season.
Meanwhile, the BBC’s digital performance saw video views across its Sport and Test Match Special social channels reaching 39 million in 2025, nearly four times the 10.4 million views recorded in 2024.
Andy Milnes, Nielsen market lead for sports in the UK & Ireland, said: “The Hundred has demonstrated a clear ability to capture public attention and convert it into strong engagement. With a 5.8 million-strong fanbase and robust broadcast growth, the tournament’s move toward private ownership and sector-specific sponsorship marks a maturation of the property. It is moving from a league-wide foundational model to a more dynamic, individually-driven commercial strategy.”
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