Former Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi has questioned the long-term viability of England’s 100-ball competition, The Hundred, suggesting the tournament may not survive beyond the next few years.
Speaking on The Overlap Cricket podcast with Michael Vaughan, Modi argued that structural and commercial limitations could hinder the league’s sustainability. He pointed to the competition’s dependence on advertising-led revenue, which he believes is ill-suited to the UK’s largely subscription-driven sports market.
“It’ll die in three years," Modi said. “Completely die. It’ll be finished. It won’t be there. I guarantee it. In three to four years, it won't exist. It’ll pump so much money in it that there will be no future. I’ll give you the simple reasoning: it’s in the month of August. Great window, that’s all you have. There’s no promotion or marketing behind it. Sky has no reason to promote it. There is no money coming into the game. At the end of the day, the people who bought the teams are expecting a return. The return comes from media rights and nothing else.”
He further underlined the challenges of monetisation in England’s sports ecosystem. “Would you buy a Sky package just for The Hundred, for one month? The UK is not an advertisement-driven market. The UK market is the best in the world for subscription revenue. That is Sky Television's model. Its model is subscriber-based."
Lalit Modi raises concerns over audience appeal of The Hundred
Modi also questioned the competition’s broader appeal, including its format and positioning within the cricket calendar. He suggested that the 100-ball structure alters familiar aspects of the sport, potentially making it harder for audiences to connect with.
Also Read: IPL founder Lalit Modi labels Hundred 'big fat Ponzi scheme'
Expanding on the issue of audience behaviour, he added: “People fight for the cricket package, but only when the Ashes are on or when India comes to play. That’s spread over four or five months. You have a short window of one month to put The Hundred. You’re buying a cricket package, which is already diminishing."
He continued: "Football is taking over the English market. If people have disposable income... and they have constraints on buying a Sky box, what are they buying? Packages. The first sell is football. Formula One and tennis are growing very fast...The young kids dictate what we’re going to watch... You can’t milk something that is not milkable, guys. I mean, you can’t go and milk a cow when you can’t milk the bloody thing. It’s running out of juice."
The upcoming edition of The Hundred is set to feature teams with investment links to IPL franchises, including Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds.
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