April 25, 2025 • 11 mins
New Zealand Cricket is branching out.
They've become the first national body in the code to invest in a franchise T20 league - taking a stake in an expansion team in North America's Major League Cricket.
The aim is to keep some of our leading players – and coaches – available for Black Caps duty, instead of opting to effectively become freelancers on the global Twenty20 stage.
NZ Cricket CEO Scott Weenink joined Jason Pine to talk about the decision.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk zb Yes.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Indeed, groundbreaking new partnership for New Zealand Cricket was announced
on Thursday. New Zealand Cricket have joined forces with the
financial backers of a new franchise in North America's Major
League Cricket competition. That competition has an estimated value of
at least two hundred million dollars now. The new team,
(00:35):
which is yet to be formally named or have their
location confirmed, will debut in the Major League Cricket twenty
twenty seven season. Great pleasure to welcome into the show.
New Zealand Crickets CEO Scott Winning. Scott, thanks for taking
the time for a chat this afternoon. How did this
all come about and what was the rationale behind it?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Well, look, initially, the thinking came about last year when
we were putting together our five year strategic plan and
you know, there was a realization that on the back
of the potential leaner squeeze on broadcast revenues and ICC
distributions which New Zealand Cricket is so heavily reliant on,
(01:17):
that we needed to start looking to try and diversify
way and find other new revenue streams, and one of
those the idea that came up was looking at, you know,
potentially providing our high performance services into a league such
as the m l C and earning some essentially service
(01:41):
revenues on the back of that. That then evolved to thinking, well,
if we're going to do that, perhaps we also look
at some sort of equity stake in whatever franchise we
might be providing those services to. So then that was
a catalyst for approaching the founders of Major Leath Cricket
(02:01):
about four months ago to essentially offer up our high
performance service services team, and that then quickly sort of
moved very very quickly forward. Is that they they themselves
that actually have been thinking about the approaching New Zealand
Cricket because you know, our high performance unit and the
(02:21):
success of our high performance unit and our teams is
obviously well known, but I've actually been thinking about approaching
us also. So it's all satrated very quickly to this
point where we've signed the partnership you know, to essentially
for two things. One is providing the high performance services
and secondly, you know, potentially taking equity stake in the franchise.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Okay, so there's two parts to this. As I understand
it, it allows you to diversify your revenue streams but also
to create opportunities for New Zealand's high performance staff and players.
So can we look at both things. First of all,
how beneficial SCOT is this to your balance sheet?
Speaker 3 (02:59):
This would be very beneficial. You know, we're talking about
receiving you know, seven fig the sum in the squad
is essentially services revenue, and that is by providing our
the high performance unit to this franchise. There's also some
down potential downstream benefits on top of that, such as
(03:21):
you know, providing an opportunity for these the other franchise
players from from the US and Canada to actually come
down and train in New Zealand over our summer. That
would be a separate arrangement. And then there's also the
opportunity to you know, to to help them with building
their stadiums and developing cricket infrastructure in the US. So
(03:44):
again sort of additional opportunities for us to earn revenue there.
And what it also means is, you know, there is
a pathway and an opportunity for our high performance team,
you know, coaches, managers, physios, et cetera, who actually go
and experience working in and building you know, an over
(04:06):
is franchise, and thereby that will also you know, although
there are no commitments around our players, they will need
to be separately contracted. There is an expectation that there
will be a very heavy New Zealand influence in this
particular franchise, just as there is becoming in the Major
League cricket across the board.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
So just to clarify the revenue the seventh figure some
you talked about there, Scott who who pays New Zealand Cricket.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
So the franchise will pay New Zealand Cricket for us
providing basically a high performance unit to the franchise, and
that high performance unit will be made up of New
Zealand Cricket staff.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
So just coaches or does that include players as well?
Speaker 3 (04:55):
No, it doesn't. That part doesn't include players. That includes coaches, managers, physios,
you know, psychologists, et cetera. The player element will be
on top of that. So if our players sign contracts
with that franchise, that'll be a separate arrangement.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Gotcha. Okay, so you just in a pardon the ignorance,
but I just want to make sure where we get
this right. So New Zealan Cricket, it's complicated, especially for
somebody like me me are so New Zealand Cricket hasn't
you haven't bought a stake in this team.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
No, So, in addition to us providing those services, we
have an opportunity to buy a stake in the team,
and that and the the consideration for that for that
stake in the team will be a mixture of cash
that New Zealand Cricket puts up, but also part of
(05:53):
the payment for providing those high performances services will be
in the form of what what you term sweet equity.
So in other words, we'll be getting paid cash plus
equity to wide those services. Gotcha, So that is that
complicated warfare?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
No, no, no, no, no, I no, I get that.
I get the generales. I mean as I say, I know,
I know, it's twofold. There's obviously the opportunity is about
for the players, which I'm going to chat about in
a sec. But yeah, so, so one we can tick
off is this is this is beneficial financially for New
Zealand Cricket. Let's get to the players. Yeah, I mean,
how many players do you foresee playing for the new franchise?
(06:34):
Will it be four or five? Half a dozen more?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Yeah, I mean there can be a maximum five overseas
players in each EMIL team, So you know, there's no guarantee.
It might be that this franchise you know, wants to
have you know, some Australians playing as well. But you know,
our expectation is that there will be heavy New Zealand
influence because you know it's gonna be New Zealand coaches
and support stuff. We'll also be encouraging you know, New
(07:02):
Zealand players to play for other m l C franchises.
You know, this is not a New Zealand team so
to speak, but a New Zealand theme team. And the opportunity,
as we said, is to support Major League Cricket becoming
you know, a bigger and more lucrative tournament, thereby opening
(07:23):
up lots of opportunities for our players across the board
in you know, a bigger and more good tournament in
the time of the year that doesn't conflict with the
New Zealand home season.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
That's the key. But at the end then isn't it.
That's the key bit there at the end that this
won't conflict with with players turning out in front of
New Zealand crowds during the New Zealand home summer exactly.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
And the only time there would be a conflict is
when we're you know, potentially touring the West Indies or
England or you know, another country in the Northern Hemisphere,
at which point, if the Zealand players are essentrally contracted,
their obligations will be played for New Zealand first and foremost.
But otherwise, you know, we're again trying to create opportunities
(08:12):
for our players to play in leagues at times that
do not conflict with our summer and so thereby you know,
they are going to be in New Zealand playing for
New Zealand. We're playing for New Zealand mays in our summer.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Is there any danger that you're exposing more New Zealand
players to the eyeballs of other T twenty franchises and
competitions around the world.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I mean, look, the reality is that that's how it is.
We you know, we need to recognize that, you know,
New Zealand players are attractive to other leagues en franchises,
and look, we actively want to encourage that, we just
don't want to encourage it to the detriment of them
signing central contracts. So the best case scenario for us
(08:59):
is that players essentially contracted, but we are helping provide
them with other opportunities during parts of the year where
New Zealand is not playing to top up their earnings.
And it's fair to say, you know, back caps of
today and also the right turns, but particularly black Caps,
are you know, able to earn significant sums of money.
(09:23):
I've still being contracted to New Zealand because we give
them the opportunity to play in these overseas leagues as well.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
What does this mean for the average New Zealand cricket fan,
Apart from obviously, you know, hopefully having most of our
best players playing in the home summer, That is that
the major benefit to the New Zealand cricket fan, the
average fan.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Yeah, it's and it's you know the fact that we're
generating extra revenue to basically invest in our game back
in New Zealand. So essentially, any revenue that we that
we get from this venture, whether it be by service revenue,
or dividends. Potentially we'll be getting invested back into New Zealand,
(10:04):
back into community cricket, back into into pathways, and back
into high performance. So that's that should be seen as
a huge benefit for our fans. Also, you know, we'd
like to think it will create a bit of an
interest in you know, this franchise in Major League cricket
and also Major League Cricket itself. You know that was
shown on Sky last season and the timing of Major
(10:29):
League Cricket is actually pretty good for New Zealm cricket fans.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
We don't know where it's going to be based.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Yet, no, I mean the two for twenty twenty seven,
the two places are potentially talking about Toronto or Atlanta
and actually Las Vegas as been mentioned, so that's still
to be confirmed. Twenty thirty one. I think there's a
(10:55):
strong desire for that to be in San Francisco, but
again that's you know, that's all still be established. The
key point is it needs to be in a major
metropolitan area in North America to make it work.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Scott, I know you've done a lot of media this
week and explain this to a number of people. Thanks
for explaining it. To our audience this afternoon, and we
look forward to tracking the progress towards twenty twenty seven.
Thanks for your time, as always my pleasure.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Thanks s having me on as always
Speaker 1 (11:25):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks b weekends from midday, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk zb Yes.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Indeed, groundbreaking new partnership for New Zealand Cricket was announced
on Thursday. New Zealand Cricket have joined forces with the
financial backers of a new franchise in North America's Major
League Cricket competition. That competition has an estimated value of
at least two hundred million dollars now. The new team,
(00:35):
which is yet to be formally named or have their
location confirmed, will debut in the Major League Cricket twenty
twenty seven season. Great pleasure to welcome into the show.
New Zealand Crickets CEO Scott Winning. Scott, thanks for taking
the time for a chat this afternoon. How did this
all come about and what was the rationale behind it?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Well, look, initially, the thinking came about last year when
we were putting together our five year strategic plan and
you know, there was a realization that on the back
of the potential leaner squeeze on broadcast revenues and ICC
distributions which New Zealand Cricket is so heavily reliant on,
(01:17):
that we needed to start looking to try and diversify
way and find other new revenue streams, and one of
those the idea that came up was looking at, you know,
potentially providing our high performance services into a league such
as the m l C and earning some essentially service
(01:41):
revenues on the back of that. That then evolved to thinking, well,
if we're going to do that, perhaps we also look
at some sort of equity stake in whatever franchise we
might be providing those services to. So then that was
a catalyst for approaching the founders of Major Leath Cricket
(02:01):
about four months ago to essentially offer up our high
performance service services team, and that then quickly sort of
moved very very quickly forward. Is that they they themselves
that actually have been thinking about the approaching New Zealand
Cricket because you know, our high performance unit and the
(02:21):
success of our high performance unit and our teams is
obviously well known, but I've actually been thinking about approaching
us also. So it's all satrated very quickly to this
point where we've signed the partnership you know, to essentially
for two things. One is providing the high performance services
and secondly, you know, potentially taking equity stake in the franchise.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Okay, so there's two parts to this. As I understand
it, it allows you to diversify your revenue streams but also
to create opportunities for New Zealand's high performance staff and players.
So can we look at both things. First of all,
how beneficial SCOT is this to your balance sheet?
Speaker 3 (02:59):
This would be very beneficial. You know, we're talking about
receiving you know, seven fig the sum in the squad
is essentially services revenue, and that is by providing our
the high performance unit to this franchise. There's also some
down potential downstream benefits on top of that, such as
(03:21):
you know, providing an opportunity for these the other franchise
players from from the US and Canada to actually come
down and train in New Zealand over our summer. That
would be a separate arrangement. And then there's also the
opportunity to you know, to to help them with building
their stadiums and developing cricket infrastructure in the US. So
(03:44):
again sort of additional opportunities for us to earn revenue there.
And what it also means is, you know, there is
a pathway and an opportunity for our high performance team,
you know, coaches, managers, physios, et cetera, who actually go
and experience working in and building you know, an over
(04:06):
is franchise, and thereby that will also you know, although
there are no commitments around our players, they will need
to be separately contracted. There is an expectation that there
will be a very heavy New Zealand influence in this
particular franchise, just as there is becoming in the Major
League cricket across the board.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
So just to clarify the revenue the seventh figure some
you talked about there, Scott who who pays New Zealand Cricket.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
So the franchise will pay New Zealand Cricket for us
providing basically a high performance unit to the franchise, and
that high performance unit will be made up of New
Zealand Cricket staff.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
So just coaches or does that include players as well?
Speaker 3 (04:55):
No, it doesn't. That part doesn't include players. That includes coaches, managers, physios,
you know, psychologists, et cetera. The player element will be
on top of that. So if our players sign contracts
with that franchise, that'll be a separate arrangement.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Gotcha. Okay, so you just in a pardon the ignorance,
but I just want to make sure where we get
this right. So New Zealan Cricket, it's complicated, especially for
somebody like me me are so New Zealand Cricket hasn't
you haven't bought a stake in this team.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
No, So, in addition to us providing those services, we
have an opportunity to buy a stake in the team,
and that and the the consideration for that for that
stake in the team will be a mixture of cash
that New Zealand Cricket puts up, but also part of
(05:53):
the payment for providing those high performances services will be
in the form of what what you term sweet equity.
So in other words, we'll be getting paid cash plus
equity to wide those services. Gotcha, So that is that
complicated warfare?
Speaker 2 (06:12):
No, no, no, no, no, I no, I get that.
I get the generales. I mean as I say, I know,
I know, it's twofold. There's obviously the opportunity is about
for the players, which I'm going to chat about in
a sec. But yeah, so, so one we can tick
off is this is this is beneficial financially for New
Zealand Cricket. Let's get to the players. Yeah, I mean,
how many players do you foresee playing for the new franchise?
(06:34):
Will it be four or five? Half a dozen more?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Yeah, I mean there can be a maximum five overseas
players in each EMIL team, So you know, there's no guarantee.
It might be that this franchise you know, wants to
have you know, some Australians playing as well. But you know,
our expectation is that there will be heavy New Zealand
influence because you know it's gonna be New Zealand coaches
and support stuff. We'll also be encouraging you know, New
(07:02):
Zealand players to play for other m l C franchises.
You know, this is not a New Zealand team so
to speak, but a New Zealand theme team. And the opportunity,
as we said, is to support Major League Cricket becoming
you know, a bigger and more lucrative tournament, thereby opening
(07:23):
up lots of opportunities for our players across the board
in you know, a bigger and more good tournament in
the time of the year that doesn't conflict with the
New Zealand home season.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
That's the key. But at the end then isn't it.
That's the key bit there at the end that this
won't conflict with with players turning out in front of
New Zealand crowds during the New Zealand home summer exactly.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
And the only time there would be a conflict is
when we're you know, potentially touring the West Indies or
England or you know, another country in the Northern Hemisphere,
at which point, if the Zealand players are essentrally contracted,
their obligations will be played for New Zealand first and foremost.
But otherwise, you know, we're again trying to create opportunities
(08:12):
for our players to play in leagues at times that
do not conflict with our summer and so thereby you know,
they are going to be in New Zealand playing for
New Zealand. We're playing for New Zealand mays in our summer.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Is there any danger that you're exposing more New Zealand
players to the eyeballs of other T twenty franchises and
competitions around the world.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
I mean, look, the reality is that that's how it is.
We you know, we need to recognize that, you know,
New Zealand players are attractive to other leagues en franchises,
and look, we actively want to encourage that, we just
don't want to encourage it to the detriment of them
signing central contracts. So the best case scenario for us
(08:59):
is that players essentially contracted, but we are helping provide
them with other opportunities during parts of the year where
New Zealand is not playing to top up their earnings.
And it's fair to say, you know, back caps of
today and also the right turns, but particularly black Caps,
are you know, able to earn significant sums of money.
(09:23):
I've still being contracted to New Zealand because we give
them the opportunity to play in these overseas leagues as well.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
What does this mean for the average New Zealand cricket fan,
Apart from obviously, you know, hopefully having most of our
best players playing in the home summer, That is that
the major benefit to the New Zealand cricket fan, the
average fan.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Yeah, it's and it's you know the fact that we're
generating extra revenue to basically invest in our game back
in New Zealand. So essentially, any revenue that we that
we get from this venture, whether it be by service revenue,
or dividends. Potentially we'll be getting invested back into New Zealand,
(10:04):
back into community cricket, back into into pathways, and back
into high performance. So that's that should be seen as
a huge benefit for our fans. Also, you know, we'd
like to think it will create a bit of an
interest in you know, this franchise in Major League cricket
and also Major League Cricket itself. You know that was
shown on Sky last season and the timing of Major
(10:29):
League Cricket is actually pretty good for New Zealm cricket fans.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
We don't know where it's going to be based.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Yet, no, I mean the two for twenty twenty seven,
the two places are potentially talking about Toronto or Atlanta
and actually Las Vegas as been mentioned, so that's still
to be confirmed. Twenty thirty one. I think there's a
(10:55):
strong desire for that to be in San Francisco, but
again that's you know, that's all still be established. The
key point is it needs to be in a major
metropolitan area in North America to make it work.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Scott, I know you've done a lot of media this
week and explain this to a number of people. Thanks
for explaining it. To our audience this afternoon, and we
look forward to tracking the progress towards twenty twenty seven.
Thanks for your time, as always my pleasure.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Thanks s having me on as always
Speaker 1 (11:25):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news talks b weekends from midday, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio
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