Professional Cricket Set To Confuse U.S. Sports Fans

The United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) today announced exclusive licensing rights for a Franchised T20 Professional Cricket League to Pennsylvania-based sports-development company Global Sports Ventures, bringing and professionalizing the world’s second-most-popular sport to the U.S., the world’s largest sports economy.

“USACA is thrilled … to bring this long-adored sport stateside and are confident in their ability to grow the sport in the United States,” said USACA President Gladstone Dainty. “This multiyear, multimillion-dollar licensing agreement will change the way the sport is played, followed, watched, and administered, and we’re excited to provide for the first time ever annual contracts to our players — both male and female.”

Under the $70 million deal, Global Sports Ventures takes the first step in growing the sport in the U.S., which boasts the second-highest viewership of cricket in the world behind India: more than 1.4 million people in the U.S. tuned in to view the ICC World Twenty20 competition this year. Based on the high demand for the sport, the development company expects to generate hundreds of millions of dollars through partnerships, significantly impacting the sports economy.

Said Jignesh (Jay) Pandya, president/CEO, Global Sports Ventures, “The professional-sports landscape is a notoriously tough market to break into, but we’re confident in the strength of the consumer demand in the U.S. This agreement allows us to grow the world’s second-most-popular sport right here in our own backyard.”

The deal between the USACA and Global Sports Ventures will professionalize the game of cricket in the U.S., offering American athletes the opportunity for a professional career in the sport.