Florida, Apr 24 (UNI) A new Major League Cricket franchise team will launch in 2027 with direct investment from New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

Terms have been agreed between NZC and a US-based consortium True North Sports Ventures (TNS) in what will be an unprecedented overseas franchise investment for a national governing

body, the BBC reported.

A statement from NZC said they will provide "high-performance and operational support" to the new MLC franchise "including coaching, management, and support staff, as well as integrating the franchise into NZC's domestic high-performance ecosystem".

TNS will be headed up by MLC co-founders Vijay Srinivasan and Sameer Mehta and include backers such as the 49ers Enterprises, the investment wing of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.

The name and home city of the new franchise has yet to be decided although Atlanta in Georgia and the Canadian city of Toronto are both under consideration.

NZC will also have the option to invest in a second MLC franchise, earmarked for 2031.

"As franchise cricket grows globally, NZC needs to adapt to seize strategic opportunities that ensure the sustainability of our cricket network," said NZC chief executive Scott Weenink.

"This helps diversify our revenue streams, expands our global brand and fan base, and creates new talent development and retention pathways for both our players and coaches."

MLC launched in 2023 as a six-team tournament with this year's edition taking place between

June 12 and July 13 across venues in Dallas, Florida and Oakland.

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