ECB is set to extend the 4 million pounds deal with KP Snacks, one of the United Kingdom’s biggest fast food companies, for the next five years of the Hundred. (Reuters)
While England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is set to extend its marque tournament the Hundred’s controversial sponsorship with a fast food company, the yet to be announced decision will face its challenges. As reported by The Guardian, ECB is set to extend the 4 million pounds deal with KP Snacks, one of the United Kingdom’s biggest fast food companies, for the next five years of the Hundred.
“The Guardian has learned that talks between the ECB and KP are at an advanced stage over a contract that will see brands such as Hula Hoops, McCoy’s, Tyrells and Butterkist promoted on players’ shirts for another four years. The original KP contract was worth about £4m to the ECB over five years and the company wants to extend on similar terms,” the report in The Guardian stated.
The Hundred, ECB’s innovative format where each team faces 100 balls, was launched in 2019 but the first edition of the tournament happened in 2021 due to the delay caused by Covid-19. While the tournament has seen four seasons, ECB had announced a 4 million pounds sponsorship deal with KP Snacks in 2019. The last four seasons have seen KP Snacks brands like Hula Hoops, McCoy’s, Tyrells and Butterkist being displayed on the participating eight teams in men and women’s competitions. As per The Guardian, the new sponsorship deal will also be not affected by the pre-9pm ban on junk food advertising set to come into force in October 2025. The Hundred games are played in the afternoon and early evenings to target family and young audiences. According to the newspaper, a loophole in the legislation results in fast food and snacks advertising being permitted with them not showing the actual products. “ECB faced strong criticism from health campaigners and MPs when the initial five-year deal with KP as title sponsors of the Hundred was announced in 2019, six months before the competition’s planned launch, which ended up being delayed until 2021 by the Covid‑19 pandemic. The short-format competition was specifically designed by the ECB to appeal to children and was marketed to families with considerable success. Research by the board after the first season in 2021 showed that 19% of all tickets were sold to children, and that 55% of ticket buyers had never previously purchased a ticket for cricket in this country,” the report further stated.
ECB is already in process for selling off its 49 percent stake in the eight franchises in the tournament with the second round of the three-part bidding process closing on Monday and bidders including Ambanis, owners of IPL side Mumbai Indians, from India and Knighthead Capital, owners of Birmingham City. Earlier in 2019, the Obesity Health Alliance had criticized the deal. “Junk food brands sponsoring sporting events is just another way they make sure their unhealthy products take centre stage in children’s minds.” the watchdog had said in a statement.
In 2022, ECB and KP Foods were embroiled in a controversy after an email sent by ECB’s to its mailing list and a KP Foods Instagram advertising about a chance to win tickets for the Hundred were found to have breached the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) code. According to BBC, the advertisement was sent to an ECB mailing list of 29,276 ticket buyers, 326 of which were under the age of 16. The email contained the logs of The Hundred and KP brand McCoys and originals. “The email banned by the ASA contained the logos of The Hundred and KP brand McCoys and carried the text “we’ve teamed up with McCoy’s, Official Team Partner of the Manchester Originals, to offer you the opportunity to claim a free bat and ball to celebrate The Hundred” BBC had reported.
ASA had received two complaints post which they took the action. “We told The England and Wales Cricket Board Ltd and KP Snacks Ltd to take reasonable steps in future to ensure that HFSS [foods high in fat, salt and sugar] product ads were not directed at children through the selection of media or the context in which they appeared,” the Advertising Standards Authority had said in a statement in 2022.
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