Two weeks after announcing plans for its first stadium, Major League Cricket has secured a key long-term investment from the Knight Riders Group, which is majority-owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan.
SRK is King of Bollywood:
- $600 million net worth
- 3.5 billion fans worldwide
- 23.6 million Instagram followers
- Has starred in 80 movies
The group has a history of success in cricket: The Kolkata Knight Riders are two-time Indian Premier League champions and the Trinbago Knight Riders of the Caribbean Premier League have won the league title four of the last six seasons.
“For several years now, we have been expanding the Knight Riders brand globally and closely watching the potential for T20 cricket in the USA,” Khan said. “We are convinced that Major League Cricket has all the pieces in place to execute on its plans.”
MLC parent company American Cricket Enterprises is selling ownership interests in the league — rather than individual franchises — but plans for most investors to eventually adopt a team as their own. The league is expected to launch in 2022 with six teams.
The investment signals faith in the growth of the world’s second-most popular sport stateside.
Cricket In The U.S.:
- Estimated 150,000 regular players
- 20 million fans
- More than 4 million regular viewers
