Why the Hundred Might Actually Work

Since its launch in 2021, The Hundred has divided cricket fans like few innovations before it. Billed as a revolutionary format designed to attract younger audiences and casual spectators, the competition replaced traditional overs with 100-ball innings, introduced franchise teams with vibrant branding, and brought equal billing to men’s and women’s matches. While purists scoffed at the gimmickry, the ECB insisted it was a necessary step to secure cricket’s future in an increasingly crowded entertainment market.

The Hundred isn’t just about shortening the game—it’s a strategic move to revitalise a sport struggling for relevance among new generations. With dwindling attendance in county cricket, oversaturated international calendars, and fierce competition from other sports and streaming content, the ECB sought to create a family-friendly spectacle with bite-sized drama, fast-paced action, and universal accessibility. But has it worked—or more importantly, can it work long-term?

In this article, we explore why The Hundred might actually work. From its growing broadcast reach to its savvy use of digital platforms, and from elevating the women’s game to creating new heroes for English cricket, The Hundred is quietly building a compelling case for itself. Here’s what critics may be missing.

It Solves Cricket’s Format Fatigue

One of the biggest problems in modern cricket is format fatigue. Between Test matches, ODIs, T20s, and now T10s, fans can struggle to keep up. The Hundred simplifies the equation with a unique, standalone structure. It’s not just another T20 clone—it’s a reimagined format with new rules, visual cues, and pacing.

Each team faces 100 balls per innings, with bowlers delivering either five or ten consecutive balls. This makes for faster matches, usually wrapped up within two and a half hours. In a world where attention spans are shrinking, that’s crucial. Families can attend weekday games without worrying about late finishes. Children understand the basic structure easily. And broadcasters love the predictability in runtime.

More importantly, The Hundred’s format removes redundancy. In T20s, the difference between a 20-over and 16.4-over innings may seem marginal to a seasoned viewer—but to a new fan, “100 balls” is immediately graspable. It feels digestible and deliberate.

By positioning itself as a simplified, high-energy product, The Hundred sidesteps the risk of cannibalising existing formats. Instead, it offers an entry point to cricket for people who might otherwise never engage. This accessibility is why The Hundred might actually work—not just as a gimmick, but as a long-term gateway to the sport.

Prime-Time Accessibility Drives New Audiences

One of the more subtle but significant shifts The Hundred brings is scheduling. Unlike traditional county cricket or even some T20 Blast fixtures, The Hundred’s matches are strategically placed in prime-time slots, often starting in the early evening or on weekends. This is a deliberate move to attract working adults, schoolchildren, and casual viewers.

Accessibility isn’t just about format; it’s also about when and where people can watch. The Hundred is broadcast live on both Sky Sports and the BBC, offering rare free-to-air cricket coverage. This dual availability is unprecedented in recent years and has been instrumental in reaching demographics that typically wouldn’t pay for sports channels.

It’s also highly mobile-friendly. The competition’s marketing strategy leverages YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and short-form video content to reach younger audiences on their preferred platforms. Highlights, player interviews, and match clips are optimised for mobile viewing and easily shareable.

This blend of smart scheduling and platform diversity means The Hundred isn’t just chasing existing fans—it’s actively converting new ones. Cricket’s long-standing reputation as an inaccessible, complicated sport is being dismantled piece by piece. This is another reason why The Hundred might actually work: it meets people where they are—on screens, on the go, and on their own terms.

Women’s Cricket Finally Gets Equal Footing

Historically, women’s cricket has played second fiddle to the men’s game, both in funding and visibility. But The Hundred has changed that. For the first time in major franchise cricket, men’s and women’s matches are marketed, broadcast, and scheduled as joint events. They share the same stage, same venues, and same audience.

This structural equality has been a game-changer. Female players are now household names. Cricketers like Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, and Nat Sciver-Brunt are inspiring a new generation of girls who can see a viable professional pathway in the sport.

Pay equity is also improving. While not entirely level, the salaries in The Hundred’s women’s competition are significantly higher than in other domestic formats. This increased professionalism has raised standards and performances across the board. The visibility has grown, too: women’s matches regularly attract five-figure crowds and strong TV ratings.

What’s more, mixed branding means fans often turn up for both matches in a double-header—exposing casual viewers to the women’s game who may not have otherwise sought it out. That organic exposure matters.

By bringing the women’s game into the mainstream spotlight, The Hundred challenges cricket’s entrenched hierarchies. That’s a powerful reason why The Hundred might actually work—not just for growing the game, but for making it fairer and more inclusive.

Franchise Loyalty Builds Faster Than County Allegiance

English domestic cricket has long suffered from a lack of mass appeal, partly because the county system is complicated, regional, and slow-moving. The Hundred bypasses this with a streamlined, franchise-based approach. Teams like Oval Invincibles, Trent Rockets, and Manchester Originals are built for brand recognition and fast loyalty.

Unlike counties steeped in over a century of tradition (and slow change), these new franchises are accessible to newcomers. They have cool names, modern logos, merch-friendly kits, and marketing campaigns that resemble those of NBA or Premier League clubs. That matters for younger fans who value identity and visual association more than legacy.

What’s more, each team pulls from wide catchment areas, giving entire cities or regions a side to support. Trent Rockets don’t just represent Nottingham—they tap into pride from across the East Midlands. This pan-regional approach increases the pool of potential fans.

Because The Hundred happens over just a few weeks, fans can commit to the full arc of a season—unlike the sprawling county calendar. Kids pick their favourite team, follow their heroes, and actually remember who won. That concentrated loyalty is a reason why The Hundred might actually work: it fosters faster and stickier emotional investment than county cricket has managed in decades.

The Hundred Creates Heroes, Not Just Cricketers

A key reason the IPL exploded in popularity was its ability to create stars. Think Dhoni in yellow, Kohli in red, or Russell as the game-changing finisher. The Hundred is attempting the same—giving English cricket a roster of recognisable heroes across both men’s and women’s teams.

Players like Will Jacks, Tom Banton, and Brydon Carse have earned national attention thanks to performances in The Hundred. On the women’s side, the format has fast-tracked visibility for rising stars like Lauren Bell and Issy Wong. These aren’t just names on a team sheet—they’re characters in a broader entertainment narrative.

The condensed tournament format helps too. Each match matters. There’s little downtime. Strong performances become viral moments, and one standout innings or spell can elevate a player’s profile overnight. In a way, The Hundred functions like a highlight reel generator—and audiences, especially younger ones, eat that up.

By focusing on storytelling, player profiles, and broadcast-friendly mic’d-up segments, The Hundred humanises cricketers. They become personalities, not just performers. And that’s crucial to growing the game’s reach in today’s influencer-driven culture.

It’s this star-making ability that underlines why The Hundred might actually work—it turns domestic talent into household names and makes fans care not just about the sport, but about who is playing it.

A Testing Ground for Innovation

Tradition has long ruled cricket—but sometimes, tradition needs a shake-up. The Hundred has embraced its role as a testing ground for new ideas. Whether it’s the use of on-field graphics, player microphones, or simplified scorecards, the competition experiments freely and adjusts quickly.

This agility is refreshing. While Test cricket debates the use of pink balls for years, The Hundred adopts innovations almost annually. Graphics showing “balls remaining” instead of overs? Adopted. Strategic timeouts? Trialled. DJ booths and family zones at every stadium? Standard.

Not all ideas land. But that’s the point—The Hundred provides the ECB with a low-risk laboratory to trial changes without disrupting the integrity of long-standing formats. If a gimmick works, it can be refined. If it flops, it’s quietly shelved.

This experimental spirit signals modernity. In a sporting world where the NBA, NFL, and even Formula 1 constantly evolve their presentation and engagement tactics, cricket cannot afford to stand still. The Hundred understands that.

By being brave enough to try, tweak, and sometimes fail, the ECB is futureproofing the game. This innovative flexibility is a big part of why The Hundred might actually work—it’s not bound by history, and that’s a strength, not a weakness.

Grassroots Links Are Already Paying Off

A criticism often levelled at The Hundred is that it takes resources away from grassroots cricket. But in truth, the competition is already reinvesting in local cricket structures through partnerships, ticket subsidies, and visibility campaigns.

The ECB has explicitly linked The Hundred to its "Inspiring Generations" strategy, which aims to get more children playing, watching, and talking about cricket. Many matchday tickets are made available at discounted prices for school groups and youth clubs. Free coaching clinics run alongside the tournament in city centres. Even the kit designs have been used in schools to engage young players.

Plus, The Hundred’s visibility has a halo effect. When a 9-year-old watches Alice Capsey hit sixes live on TV, they’re more likely to pick up a bat the next day. That pipeline matters.

Clubs across the country are already reporting higher engagement during The Hundred’s run—especially among girls. Rather than drain grassroots cricket, it’s providing a spectacle that sustains its energy. If the ECB continues to fund development alongside it, this ecosystem could thrive.

That connection between elite and amateur tiers is another reason why The Hundred might actually work. It bridges a gap that cricket has too often ignored—and gives grassroots players something to aspire to.

It’s Actually Fun—And That’s the Point

Let’s not overcomplicate it. The Hundred is fun. From neon kits to fireworks, live DJs to family zones, the vibe is distinctly un-cricket-like—and that’s exactly what makes it appealing to those who never “got” the sport before.

Traditional cricket can be slow, rule-heavy, and intimidating. The Hundred strips that back. Games start on time, end on time, and are packed with action. There’s music between overs, mascots dancing, and fans from all age groups visibly enjoying themselves. It’s a product built for joy, not just stats.

While critics argue that this dilutes the sport, they miss the bigger picture. No one’s suggesting we replace Tests with The Hundred. But the game can coexist in multiple formats. Not every cricket match needs to be a five-day war of attrition. Some can just be a colourful sprint to the finish.

And sometimes, bringing fun back into a sport is the best possible long-term strategy. That’s why The Hundred might actually work. It reminds us that cricket is not just history and technique—it’s also spectacle, energy, and entertainment. And in that sense, The Hundred delivers in spades.

Conclusion: The Hundred Might Actually Work — and Here’s Why It Matters

Whether you love or loathe it, The Hundred has made an impact. It’s brought new fans into the game, given women’s cricket a long-overdue platform, and created a fast-paced format that actually feels modern. At its best, it’s not just a tournament—it’s a rebrand of cricket for a new era.

Yes, it has its flaws. Not all the changes are popular, and county fans still feel slighted. But The Hundred doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to engage, grow, and evolve. In a world where attention is currency, it’s offering cricket a way to stay relevant.

Most importantly, it’s working in ways that matter: bums on seats, kids picking up bats, names becoming stars, and women finally getting equal spotlight. It may not be the traditionalist’s dream, but it could be cricket’s best shot at long-term survival.

That’s ultimately why The Hundred might actually work. It understands the challenge and dares to meet it head-on—with colour, clarity, and confidence.