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English cricket has generated more than 520 million pounds ($650 million) from the sale of stakes in franchises in its recently created competition The Hundred to big-business investors from India and the United States. The England and Wales Cricket Board says auctions held over the past two weeks drew bids that value the eight teams in The Hundred at more than $1.2 billion. The investors who secured deals range from Silicon Valley tech giants to consortiums containing NFL great Tom Brady and Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly and to four Indian conglomerates already owning franchises in the IPL. The ECB says the deals will underpin "long-term financial sustainability" in the domestic game after years of economic struggles.
