American footwear company Skechers have become the title sponsors of Birmingham Phoenix – knocking one of the Hundred’s controversial brands off the front of the shirts in the process.
For the first five seasons of the competition, each of the competition’s eight teams displayed the name of a fast food snack as part of a five-year deal with KP, with Phoenix’s shirt sponsors being Butterkist.
The ECB were heavily criticised by health campaigners when the £4million agreement with KP was announced, because the promotion of high-fat, high-salt snacks on apparel coincided with the vision of the 100-ball format being to increase the sport’s appeal to an audience of families and children.
KP’s relationship with the Hundred will continue this summer, but in a less prominent capacity as sleeve sponsors.
Harry Kane-backed sponsor Sketchers is to replace Butterkist on the front of the shirt
Skechers launched their elite cricket footwear range in January and have India superstar fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah as one of their sporting ambassadors.
England football captain Harry Kane is another international sportsman who wears Skechers boots.
After being centrally controlled by the ECB for the first five iterations of the competition, Birmingham Phoenix is now jointly owned by Warwickshire (51%) and New York based private investment firm Knighthead Capital Management Ltd (49%).
England T20 World Cup duo Jacob Bethell and Rehan Ahmed have already been recruited by the Phoenix ahead of next week’s auction.