The 2026 edition of The Hundred will begin without any franchise carrying a gambling company's logo on the front of its shirt, after all eight teams secured primary sponsors from other industries ahead of the tournament. The outcome comes despite the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) permitting franchises to sign betting companies as front-of-shirt partners on a temporary basis if no other commercial option emerged.
The sponsorship landscape became more complicated after the Premier League's decision to phase out front-of-shirt betting sponsors from the 2026-27 season, leaving multiple sports properties competing for a smaller pool of brands. Following last year's sale of stakes in all eight Hundred franchises, host counties and new investors took charge of commercial operations and negotiated sponsorship deals independently for the first time.
Why did the ECB allow betting sponsors for one year?
The ECB had approved a one-season transition period after the Hundred board voted in May to allow gambling companies only as a "last-resort" solution. The temporary policy came with safeguards, including minimum valuation requirements, sponsor-free shirts for players with religious or personal objections, and a ban on gambling logos on children's replica kits.
However, tournament managing director Vikram Banerjee confirmed that the exemption will end after this season. Speaking to Cricinfo, Banerjee said,
"From next year, it'll be banned. You have to acknowledge that gambling and the betting industry is a massive part of sports sponsorship… [But] there's be no visible betting sponsorships from next year, which is a powerful stand and stronger than any other cricket league."
He added:
"We - myself and the ECB - are very aware of the family audience and what we're trying to do as a brand."
Read also: Why Australia's Two Rival All-Rounders Could Become its Biggest Test Strength
What else is changing in The Hundred this year?
The sixth season also marks the beginning of a new commercial era following investment deals worth more than £500 million across the competition. The ECB has introduced the Hundred Helix, an overall championship combining men's and women's results, with equal prize money awarded for all three trophies.
Another noticeable change will be the tournament's language. The ECB is dropping the term "sets" and returning to "balls" to describe the 100-ball format. Banerjee said,
"The idea was never just to be different for different's sake. Sets, I can see what we were trying to do... If we strip it back and go back to 'balls', I think that works really well."
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