North East listed tech giant Sage has announced a deal to become the official partner for The Hundred cricket tournament.
The Tyneside-based accounting, financial, HR and payroll firm has become the Official Insights Partner of The Hundred – and from 2023 onwards The Hundred Draft will be powered by Sage.
The Hundred launched last summer to packed crowds across England and Wales, entertaining cricket fans new and old through the fast-moving competition which sees men and women play side-by-side on the same stage, with equal prize money on offer.
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Sage said the partnership marks a key symbol of change as part of its new brand refresh, and comes two months after the company announced it had become an Official Supporter of the Rugby World Cup 2023. It said the partnership will bring fans closer to The Hundred’s big decisions, powering the Decision Review System (DRS) in broadcast and the cricket grounds’ big screen, together with branding appearing on the umpires’ kit during the tournament.
Sage will also be Presenting Partner for The Hundred Draft. To support this, the partnership will launch a content series this summer, focusing on the use of data and insight behind the cricket competition.
The content will feature the key decision makers from this year’s draft, review the big signings and demonstrate how insights determined the teams’ key selections.
Sage is also partnering with Chance to Shine, a national charity that aims to give all children the opportunity to play, learn and develop through cricket.
The partnership will see Sage Foundation support a street cricket project and primary school programme in eight locations near to The Hundred venues, as well as its hometown of Newcastle.
Children in underrepresented groups will be given a safe place to play cricket all year round, to support physical, mental and social wellbeing, as well as their personal development.
Cath Keers, CMO of Sage, said: “The Hundred is a tournament with rich data at the heart of its decision-making, from drafting players to in-game analysis.
“Fast accurate decision making powered by deep insights is how we help business flow for our customers. The partnership is an exciting opportunity to share the power of data with a global audience of cricket fans and communities around the UK.
“We’ll bring this partnership to life over the coming months and years making sure our colleagues, customers and communities all benefit with access to tickets and experiences, content and promotional opportunities.”
All the content will be available for Sage’s Member Masterclasses, newly-launched for Sage customers to offer insights through talks and articles from experts on business issues .
The inaugural year of The Hundred saw more than 510,000 people attend games, with a TV audience of over 16 million, as well as record-breaking crowds for the women’s competition.
Rob Calder, commercial director of The Hundred, added: “As a global leader in supporting small and mid-sized businesses with data-driven decision making, Sage is the perfect partner to power our Decision Review System this summer, and The Draft from next year. We look forward to working with Sage as we get ready for another huge summer for The Hundred.”
Earlier this year the software company, which has sponsored the Sage Gateshead music centre since its opening in 2024, agreed a £10m deal to name the new centre, which is hoped will create 2,000 new jobs and provide a £70m annual boost to the local economy.
