Can America be the Next Global Cricket Powerhouse?

Major League Cricket USA (Image Source: Google)

When one thinks of cricket, the mind instantly travels to the lush green outfields of Lord’s, the electric atmospheres of Mumbai and Chennai, or the fierce rivalries in Melbourne. The United States? Not quite. But in a twist no one quite saw coming, cricket in America is no longer a footnote—it’s becoming a story worth watching.

At the heart of this shift is Major League Cricket (MLC), a fully professional T20 league that made its debut in July 2023. With over $120 million in backing, MLC isn’t just a token effort—it’s a serious venture. Investors include Silicon Valley’s elite, top Microsoft executives, and big names from the IPL universe like Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, who see the U.S. as cricket’s next frontier.

The numbers from MLC’s inaugural season tell their own story. Across nine match days, stadiums averaged 80% capacity, while Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina, witnessed sell-outs on all six of its match days. In total, over 70,000 spectators turned up, generating a revenue of $2.8 million from ticket sales alone—numbers rarely seen for cricket on American soil, barring India’s regular T20I pit stops in Lauderhill. You can visit betting.us, one of the best cricket gaming sites for information concerning different odds, strategies and tool usage for ultimate prediction approach during MLC.

Tapping Into the Expat Engine

Much of this early success is powered by the U.S.'s uniquely diverse, cricket-savvy population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau:

• 4.8 million South Asians
• 2.2 million Caribbean-Americans
• 150,000 Australians and New Zealanders

This built-in base of cricket lovers has long flown under the radar, but is now proving to be a goldmine. Willow TV, America’s cricket-only streaming platform, already boasts 500,000+ paid subscribers, largely from these diaspora communities. This isn’t a sport that’s starting from zero—it’s one with momentum.

But America’s ambitions go beyond the expat crowd. To truly build a sustainable future, the U.S. needs homegrown talent. Enter USA Cricket, which has rolled out development programs and coaching certifications across 13 major cities, including New York, Houston, Atlanta, and San Francisco.

As of early 2025:

• 12,000+ children are enrolled in cricket academies
• 1,500+ coaching licenses have been issued
• Over 150 high schools and 25 universities now have cricket programs

The slow burn is reminiscent of football’s (soccer’s) rise in America back in the '90s. What was once niche became mainstream over time—and cricket may be headed in the same direction.

A Format Made for America

What gives cricket a fighting chance in the U.S. is the format itself. T20 and The Hundred are tailor-made for American attention spans: fast, high-scoring, and over in roughly three hours—the same window as an NBA or MLB game.

According to ESPN+, cricket content in 2023 saw a 23% rise in viewership in the U.S., with ages 18–34 making up nearly 40% of new viewers. And broadcasters are taking notice. ESPN, CBS Sports, Willow, and even Amazon Prime have started securing rights for domestic and international matches.

The Bigger Picture

In the land of the NFL and NBA, cricket is quietly but surely carving out a niche. And who knows? The next cricket superstar may not come from Mumbai or Melbourne, but from Michigan or Miami.

The 2024 ICC T20 World Cup was a landmark moment for American cricket as it was co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies—a landmark moment for American cricket. Even bigger things are on the horizon, with cricket officially included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, a move that will significantly boost national funding and visibility for the sport. The ICC views the U.S. as a goldmine for commercial growth of the game, eyeing opportunities in sponsorships, streaming rights, and a vast, untapped viewership market. In short, the sport’s governing bodies are already placing their bets on the U.S. becoming cricket’s next big frontier.