Scott Weenink: NZ Cricket CEO on the new partnership with North America's Major League Cricket

A groundbreaking new partnership for New Zealand Cricket, in an effort to keep the country's top players from joining other global T20 franchises. 

New Zealand Cricket have joined forces with the financial backers of a new franchise in North America's Major League Cricket - a competition that has a value of at least $200 million. 

The move could help keep leading players and coaches in the Black Caps set-up, instead of becoming global T20 freelancers. 

CEO Scott Weenink told Mike Hosking they're taking a two-pronged approach. 

He says this presents an opportunity to diversify their revenue streams into the most lucrative global sporting market, while also creating opportunities for their high performance staff and players.   

The new team —which is yet to be formally named or have their location confirmed— will debut in the 2027 season. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's a big move for New Zealand cricket. They're partnering

(00:02):
with a new Major League cricket side in the States,
competition worth a couple hundred million dollars. They reckon the planners,
players and coaches play in this league while remaining available
for the national side. The CEO Scott Winner because with
us Scott Morning, Good morning, Mike, True North sports ventures,
what do we know of them? What sort of confidence
do you have that this is a winner?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Look, there's always risk involved and these these type of ventures. However,
the two major investors are the founders of Willow TV
and Major League Cricket, and there's also a number of
other high profile investors including the San Francisco forty niners
investment in there. So we're really comfortable with the investor group.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
What do you want to do? Do you want to
crack the American market or do you want to save
players or both both?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Really so, the opportunity that this presents is to diversify
our revenue streams into you know, what is the most
good global sporting market while also creating opportunities for our
high performance staff and also our players. So thereby hopefully
you know encouraging our Black Caps and ultimately our White

(01:15):
Ferns as well, to stay contracted to New Zealand while
taking advantage of these other opportunities to top up their earnings.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
What do you reckon the chances of cracking the market
are and what majors cracking the market look like.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yeah, so majorly cricket. It has been going for a
few years and has already break even. The market in
the US is an interesting one because there's around twenty
five million South Asian diaspora there. They are all very
very well held, so that the market is large. In fact,

(01:50):
it's probably the second most lucrative market after India already,
so Majorly Cricket has made some great strides there and
what we see the opportunity with major ly cricket but
also building the New Zealand cricket and our player brand
in the US is going to be incredibly helpful.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
So as a player, do I get paid the same
as I would in India or the Caribbean, or in
Britain or anywhere else, or do I have to make
some sort of compensation knowing that I can get back
to the national side.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
No, So contracting into the MLC will be a separate
contracting system, so our players will continue to be paid
by New Zealand Cricket, but then on top of that
they will be able to be paid separately by these
major league franchises and those numbers will be this similar
to what other international players such as Pat Cummins and

(02:39):
other Australians are receiving. So it's a great opportunity for
our players as well.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
Real interesting, welln Scotton, you have a good weekend. Scott Weeneck,
Who's the New Zealand Cricket CEO that starts in twenty
seven with potential expansionary plans in twenty thirty one. We'll
follow that with a great deal ofmentrum. For more from
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