For years, skeptics said cricket would never take off in America. Today, that prediction looks wildly outdated. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics officially including cricket and major investors betting on domestic leagues, the sport is on track to become America’s next billion-dollar sports frontier.
According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the United States is now home to over 6 million cricket fans, a 40% increase in the last 2 years. Streaming deals, campus leagues, and professional tournaments are transforming what was once a niche pastime into a new commercial powerhouse.
“Cricket’s not coming to America—it’s already here,” said Patrick Sandusky, Senior VP at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, during a 2025 sports innovation panel. “The question is how fast it scales.”
The answer may lie in cities like Dallas and New York. The National Cricket League USA (NCL), founded with backing from global investors and the sports technology community, has pioneered a fast-format 60-ball version designed for American audiences. The league has partnered with SONY for international broadcast and plans expansion into other big cities.
The timing couldn’t be better. As traditional sports struggle to engage Gen Z, cricket’s mix of athleticism, culture, and entertainment feels refreshingly modern. Think NBA energy meets IPL spectacle.
For sponsors, the demographic potential is enormous. “We’re looking at a U.S. market with high disposable income and an international fan base,” said Sports Business Journal’s 2025 trends report. “The economics mirror soccer’s U.S. entry 20 years ago.”
By 2030, analysts project the U.S. cricket industry could exceed $1.3 billion in annual value, spanning sponsorships, digital rights, tourism, and merchandise. If so, America’s newest pastime will have truly gone global—and local—at the same time.
Sources: ICC Global Report (2024), Sports Business Journal (2025), U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Summit (Feb. 2025).
