True North Sports Ventures (TNS) has reached an agreement with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to establish a new Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise, set to make its competitive debut in the 2027 season.
Majority control of the MLC expansion entities lies with MLC co-founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, who have exclusive rights to develop two new teams. TNS will oversee the launch of the first team in 2027.
TNS is positioning itself to take advantage of the 25 million cricket fans across North America, where interest in the sport is accelerating, further evidenced by the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and cricket’s inclusion in the LA 2028 Olympics. Cities such as Toronto and Atlanta are under consideration as possible homes for the new franchise. Mehta and Srinivasan could also team up with NZC on a second expansion team, expected in 2031.
“TNS is delighted to partner with NZC, an organisation admired for its sustained success,” said MLC Co-Founder and TNS Owner Sameer Mehta. “As founders of start-ups that have rapidly grown to established businesses, we see NZC as a perfect fit for our new franchise. With NZC’s expertise, our expansion franchise will elevate MLC’s world-class T20 product and support cricket’s rapid growth and immense potential in North America, and we look forward to working with NZC to deliver on both our ambitions and theirs, including broader strategic and corporate opportunities globally.”
This partnership marks the first time a full ICC member has formally aligned with a professional franchise in a top-tier T20 competition. NZC will contribute high-performance and operational guidance, offering coaching staff, team management, and technical expertise, while integrating the team into its national player development framework.
In the second stage, NZC will advise on facilities and pitch maintenance, while also becoming a foundational investor in TNS. The agreement includes the option for NZC to increase its shareholding before the end of 2025.
Scott Weenink, NZC’s Chief Executive, emphasised the significance of the deal in the context of cricket’s ongoing global expansion and the need for cricket bodies to adapt to modern challenges.
“This agreement marks a unique and exciting milestone for NZC,” said NZC CEO Scott Weenink. “As franchise cricket grows globally, NZC needs to adapt to seize strategic opportunities that ensure the sustainability of our cricket network. 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.”
Weenink added that NZC was proud to join Mehta, Srinivasan and the influential investor group behind TNS. The group includes 49ers Enterprises, the investment arm of the San Francisco 49ers, which owns a wide array of global sports assets including Premier League club Leeds United.
Mehta and Srinivasan, seasoned entrepreneurs, previously launched Willow TV — North America’s primary cricket broadcaster — and co-founded MLC, bringing professional T20 cricket to US shores in 2023.
Now an officially recognised “List A” league, MLC runs each summer over a three- to four-week period, with broadcast coverage in the United States through Willow TV and syndication across key global markets.
MLC currently fields six foundational franchises and has attracted international stars like New Zealand’s Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Rachin Ravindra and Finn Allen, alongside global superstars Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Travis Head, and David Miller. The league also backs the development of cricket at grassroots and semi-professional levels through Minor League Cricket in the USA.
