ECB attempting to attract new sponsors ahead of busy home summer
- Planet Sport writer
- 20 January 2023
English cricket is on the lookout for new sponsors after two major commercial partners opted not to renew their deals.
Online car retailer Cazoo will no longer serve as title sponsors for The Hundred after reaching the end of a two-year arrangement, while LV= Insurance's stint as backers of Test and first-class cricket ends this year.
With Royal London also concluding its sponsorship of the 50-over game at the end of 2022, it promises to be a busy time as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the game's governing body, attempts to attract fresh interest.
The men's and women's Ashes will be contested on home soil this year, guaranteeing a significant platform for the sport, but market conditions could also be challenging against the backdrop of a likely recession.
A spokesperson for Cazoo, which was associated with The Hundred for its first two seasons, said: "It has been a very strong and successful partnership for both parties and we are proud to have supported The Hundred."
Heather Smith, managing director of LV= General Insurance, added: "We are very much looking forward to a hugely successful summer of Ashes Cricket but when the 2023 cricket season comes to an end so will our sponsorship.
"We always said we'd partner with the sport through to 2023 and we feel the time is right to naturally pass the opportunity of this fantastic sponsorship on to someone else."
The ECB acknowledged the departure of both sponsors, adding: "We thank Cazoo for their great support over the first two years of The Hundred. We are really proud of the variety of partners who have helped establish The Hundred and throw cricket's doors open. We look forward to announcing more new partnerships as we get closer to the third year of the competition.
"We're very grateful to LV= Insurance for their support for cricket in England and Wales. As well as partnering with England Men's and Women's Test Cricket and the County Championship, they have done a huge amount for grassroots cricket including through the £1million #Funds4Runs initiative.
"With an exciting summer of cricket ahead - including men's and women's Ashes - we look forward to working together during the final year of this partnership."
