Glazers told £650m investment plan 'doesn't have future' in huge blow for Man Utd owners

Barry Hearn has made plentifulness of wealth done his catalogue of sports investments - but helium has advised the Glazer household against 1 thought the Americans are reportedly considering

Matchroom Sport supremo Barry Hearn has suggested The Hundred's aboriginal looks bleak amid connection the Glazer household are considering a £650million investment.

That's the full worth of the 49% stakes understood to beryllium up for grabs successful the competition's 8 teams. It's reported Manchester United's bulk owners are weighing up a plan to bargain astir fractional of Lord's-based cricket franchise London Spirit – but Hearn wouldn't spell anyplace adjacent the woody himself.

The reigning emperor of darts, snooker, boxing and different sports is ever unfastened to a woody – arsenic agelong helium sees a pathway to instrumentality said tract forward. But that can't beryllium said for his presumption of the 100-ball cricket competition, which volition participate its 5th play successful 2025.

"I don't deliberation The Hundred's got a large future," Hearn told Mirror Sport connected the eve of the 2024 Mosconi Cup, which kicks disconnected successful Florida connected Saturday. "I deliberation it look's a spot excessively samey for me."

The Hundred archetypal launched successful the summertime of 2021 astatine a clip erstwhile the world was bare for caller athletics successful the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. And contempt receiving an archetypal affirmative reception, it appears fans person reverted to the much established formats successful caller years.

Sportcal reported viewership for the men's contention fell by 28% connected Sky this past season, portion the fig of radical tuning into the women's crippled dropped by 41% connected the broadcaster. Some person suggested determination are excessively galore versions of limited-overs cricket already, not to notation keeping up to velocity with each different saltation of the sport.

The Glazers person taken a backmost spot successful the moving of United since Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought an archetypal number stock successful the club. Seemingly keen to dip into different country of British sport, however, they've been warded disconnected investing successful cricket pursuing Hearn's erstwhile mediocre experience.

"I emotion cricket. I love cricket and wanted to get progressive years ago, but past I met with the authorities and enactment my plans together. I was horrified by however small enactment I got," helium continued. "They'd conscionable adjacent the doors if they could get distant with it. Now, they've got it nice. They've got their expenses, their first-class fares... it's conscionable not the same."

The England and Wales Cricket Board copped disapproval for its mediocre readying of the 2024 variation of The Hundred, which clash with the Paris Olympics. Former England planetary Michael Vaughan told The Telegraph helium felt the ECB "screwed up" its scheduling by not moving this year's contention to a antithetic date.

Looking astatine sports opportunities successful the UK connected a broader scale, Hearn went connected to suggest it's possibly not a bully clip for investment. And the Glazers whitethorn beryllium omniscient to heed his words arsenic helium suggested excessive reddish portion and a deficiency of backing from those successful powerfulness is to blame.

"I'm a commercialized promoter. I marque money, but besides I boost prize moneys to a level they've ne'er seen before. That's my job," helium said. "That's what I do! But I abruptly get the feeling - some successful the authorities and assorted bodies - they wage articulator work to [new enterprise].

"So it's each good precise good saying, 'well done, you've done ever truthful well. Come person your representation taken astatine 10 Downing Street.' But that doesn't assistance the grassroots.

"And it's each astir money. People hatred it erstwhile I accidental that, but it's perfectly true. You don't wage radical important wealth to alteration their lives, wherefore should they dedicate their lives to entertaining america astatine a level that we privation to watch? But they don't privation to wage them the wealth that reflects the sacrifices they've made."

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