KP Snacks has renewed and revised its long-standing partnership with The Hundred, setting the stage for a significant transformation in the tournament’s sponsorship landscape beginning in 2026.
The British snack giant, which has supported The Hundred since its inception, has signed a new multi-year deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). This renewed agreement will go into effect once the current contract ends after the 2025 season.
In a major structural change, KP Snacks’ prominent front-of-shirt branding on team kits will shift to sleeve sponsorshipacross all eight teams. The change comes as private investors begin to take majority stakes in each team, allowing franchises to seek out their own front-of-shirt sponsors independently for the first time.
The Commercial Evolution of The Hundred
The 2026 season will mark a new commercial phase for The Hundred, with teams now operating under increased autonomy:
- Private ownership has been confirmed for six of the eight franchises, with stakeholders like Sun Group, RPSG Group, Tech Titans, and Knighthead Capital taking significant stakes ranging from 49% to 100%.
- Over £500 million ($671 million) has been generated through these equity transactions.
- The anticipated sale of stakes in the remaining two franchises—Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets—will likely finalize in the coming months, introducing global giants Reliance Industries and Cain International & Ares Management to the league.
These developments will allow teams to tailor sponsorship strategies to their regional audiences, diversify their revenue streams, and potentially reshape the commercial structure of domestic cricket in the UK.
KP Snacks’ Wider Cricket Investment
Alongside the changes in The Hundred, KP Snacks has deepened its relationship with English cricket more broadly. In April 2025, it signed a separate sleeve sponsorship deal with the ECB for England’s men’s and women’s national teams. This includes:
- Tyrrells on Test match kits
- KP Nuts on ODI kits
- Hula Hoops on T20 kits
- Whole Earth on training kits
Additionally, KP Snacks is continuing its “Everyone In” grassroots initiative, aiming to create one million opportunities for people across the UK to get active through cricket.
Quote from the ECB
Alex Perkins, Commercial Director of the ECB, commented:
“We’re delighted to be continuing our partnership with KP Snacks, who were the first partner to come on board with The Hundred and have played a huge role in the growth and development of the competition over the past six years.”
What This Means for Sports Stakeholders
This deal is a case study in how sports organizations can pivot sponsorship strategy alongside structural change:
- As private capital enters national competitions, brands must adapt to more decentralized sponsorship ecosystems.
- KP Snacks’ shift from exclusive front-of-shirt deals to sleeve partnerships allows it to maintain league-wide presence without clashing with upcoming independent sponsorships each team may pursue.
- Franchise autonomy in sponsorship opens the door for hyper-local brand integration, performance-based activations, and flexible deal-making.
Brands, leagues, and investors now need data-driven frameworks to evaluate:
- Optimal asset reallocation
- Franchise-specific brand fit
- ROI on cross-platform activations
- Long-term value in private sports investments
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