ECB could face up to GBP 50 million shortfall in 2027 as India tour absence and ICC withholding bite
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) could face a shortfall of up to GBP 50 million (approximately Rs. 627 crore) in 2027, despite having a home Ashes series against Australia scheduled for the year. The projected hit is linked to the absence of an India tour in 2027 and an International Cricket Council decision to retain part of the broadcast revenue due to be distributed that year.
According to a report by The Guardian, two separate developments underpin the ECB’s gloomy outlook: a fall in broadcasting income because India are not scheduled to tour England in 2027, and the ICC’s plan to withhold a portion of members’ broadcast distributions. The ICC move is expected to affect all 12 full-member nations. The ECB had recorded a profit of GBP 12.6 million in 2025, but its financial projections had already identified 2027 as a difficult year. Latest estimates suggest the eventual shortfall could be considerably larger than the board had anticipated.
The first commercial challenge is the fluctuation in broadcasting income depending on the opposition touring England, with the absence of India removing one of the ECB’s biggest revenue drivers for 2027. The second stems from the ICC’s retention of part of the broadcast revenue originally earmarked for distribution in 2027, a decision the governing body says is linked to the next commercial cycle.
The ECB is reportedly in discussions with the ICC about ways to soften the impact and is working to keep its losses closer to GBP 35 million (approximately Rs. 439 crore). The precise amount the ICC intends to withhold has not been confirmed.
The board also has some scope to improve its earnings through commercial agreements and events. Those revenue opportunities remain part of the ECB’s planning for the 2027 accounting period.
The ICC’s decision to retain part of members’ payments is linked to expectations of a weaker broadcasting deal for the next commercial cycle, which begins in 2028. By setting aside some of the money earmarked for distribution in 2027, the ICC is attempting to manage the expected reduction in revenue and prevent an abrupt fall in payments to its full members when the new cycle begins; 2027 is the final year of the current cycle and the calendar includes the men’s 50-over World Cup, which is the ICC’s biggest commercial property.
English cricket’s dependence on the Indian market is a key factor in the projected strain: broadcasting and viewership revenue from India play a substantial role in the ECB’s commercial arrangements. The board currently has a six-year broadcasting agreement with Sony Pictures worth GBP 185 million (approximately Rs. 2,323 crore) that expires in 2028, and the next deal is expected to bring in considerably less money. Ten of the country’s 18 counties have already reported losses in their latest published accounts, with many relying heavily on financial support from the ECB.
The ECB’s accounting year for 2027 does not conclude until January 31, 2028.
