ECB's willingness to Test new formats makes them a winner

This summer, England is set to play host to an entirely new format of cricket. This comes 16 years since T20 made its debut on the world stage, an experiment at Eden Park between England and New Zealand’s women’s teams. The motive then, is much the same as it is now, only this time it is far more daring. The Hundred, a 100-ball cricket tournament contested by eight-city based franchise teams, is the result of an extensive research project undertaken by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Critics argue that this fourth format is not needed or wanted by the cricket community. However, that is exactly the point, The Hundred is not interested in the opinions of hard-core cricket fans. This may seem strange, but I believe it’s a brave bet that will pay off and here’s why.  

The opportunities to indulge in cricket, for the cricket-mad community that reside in the UK is almost limitless, having been spoilt over the summer with a home World Cup and an Ashes series, fans can tune into cricket all year round with England’s overseas tours as well as major T20 tournaments such as Big Bash League and Indian Premier League taking place in December and April respectively. There is no shortage if you know where to look. The Hundred is an entirely new beast, aimed at bringing in the crowds that don’t know where, and have previously had no desire to look. This is an operation to move fans through the funnel, turning non-watchers to casual spectators and the casual fans into playing participants at their local clubs. The avid fans, already engaged in the other formats, will come along without much persuasion and the ECB knows this, as do the fans themselves, though some may not yet admit it.   

For the minority of fans that resist the temptations of the new format, the ECB has guaranteed that their cricket offering will not be hindered. This has been re-affirmed by Tom Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of the ECB, who stated that, “We remain totally committed to the existing, popular forms of cricket and will be committing significant funds and focus to all levels of the game, protecting and nurturing the core whilst reaching out to a wider audience.” From a business perspective, this makes complete sense. Across every industry, companies are expected to find the balance between focusing on their core product and innovating for the future. Take the automotive industry as an example, manufacturers must continue to sell petrol and diesel cars today in order to fund their projects around electric vehicles and autonomous driving technology. Businesses, as with sports, risk becoming extinct if they fail to remain relevant to new generations. The ECB hopes that The Hundred can be their electric engine. Their current drive for innovation aims to future-proof the sport from the top-down.

The ECB are also attempting to build the demand for cricket though a bottom up approach. The introduction of nation-wide coaching programmes to get children involved is all part of their strategy to widen the commercial funnel. All Stars cricket was an initiative launched in 2018 that aimed to provide a fantastic first experience for all children aged 5-8 years old with an 8-week program of fun, activities and skill development. The program was a huge success, with over 67,000 children taking part. As a result, the ECB is now launching the next step for 8-11 year olds this summer called Dynamos. It provides a pathway for kids that want to continue their involvement with cricket but not progress through to the hardball form of the game – which often causes a drop-off in participation. The hope is that it will keep more players involved in some capacity and thus widen the participation pyramid and create a more engaged and loyal consumer base.

It is no coincidence that the extended success of the All Stars program this summer coincided with England’s victorious home World Cup. The final was watched by 4.5 million Britons on Channel 4, as live international cricket returned to free-to-air television for the first time in 14 years. This makes the BBC agreement to simul-cast 10 men’s and eight women’s games for The Hundred even more impressive. There is a recognition that to get fans to engage with the sport, they need to be exposed to the game through as many channels as possible – including seeing matches on their TVs and watching highlights on tablets and mobiles. The more new fans that come close to the stars of the game – including BBC SPOTY, Ben Stokes, who will be playing for the Northern Superchargers alongside Australian ODI captain, Aaron Finch, the better. Interaction and awareness of these high-calibre players can then draw increased crowds across all formats, including England’s summer Test series’ against West Indies and Pakistan and their participation in the T20 World Cup in Australia later in the year.

The landscape of sport has changed drastically due to the rise of technology, as a result, sports teams can no longer rely on getting people to the traditional end of the funnel in the way that they used to. Sports teams must work harder than ever to retain fans, falling back on tradition and that it is simply ‘how it’s always been’ is no longer good enough. The ECB’s innovations with The Hundred and All Stars provide a wonderful example for sporting bodies to follow if they don’t want to be left behind. It will be interesting to see which sports are the big winners and losers from the current age of technological disruption. However, if the ECB continues to operate innovatively, there is a good chance that cricket will thrive.