A 49% minority ownership position in Birmingham Phoenix will be acquired by Knighthead.
Knighthead Capital Management LLC, the owners of Birmingham City, has been publicly recognized by Warwickshire County Cricket Club as the preferred private investor for a minority investment in Birmingham Phoenix, The Hundred franchise.
Following a rigorous due diligence procedure and a competitive bidding round that involved numerous multinational companies and people, Knighthead was chosen for exclusive talks. Knighthead is increasing its footprint and bolstering its involvement in the city with a majority stake in Birmingham City FC and ambitions to build a sports quarter.
The New York-based firm, known for its strategic investments in global sports and infrastructure, will now enter an eight-week exclusivity period with the Club and the ECB to finalise legal agreements. Upon completion, Knighthead will acquire a 49% minority ownership stake in Birmingham Phoenix.
These most recent talks demonstrate Knighthead’s proficiency in international sports investments and its steadfast dedication to Birmingham.
Stuart Cain, the chief executive of the Warwickshire CCC, said that the Club and Knighthead worked well together. He continued: “We’re both passionate about high performance sport, the communities we serve, and share a clear vision of where we see this partnership going and the benefits it can bring.”
Knighthead showed a strong financial commitment and a thorough comprehension of what it needed to improve high-performance sport throughout the entire process. They have a plethora of sports investment knowledge and a wide-ranging global influence that will help us market Birmingham Phoenix to cricket and sports enthusiasts worldwide.”
We’d said at the start of this process that we wanted an investor committed to invest in the region and be with us for the long term, to make a real difference.”
was the initial sentiment expressed. “I believe we’ve found that in Knighthead and we look forward to working with them during this exclusivity period.”
Tom Wagner, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Member of Knighthead, commented, “We are excited to enter exclusive negotiations with Warwickshire CCC and the ECB to invest in Birmingham Phoenix.”
He added, “The Hundred represents a significant growth opportunity, and we look forward to providing our resources and expertise to enhance Birmingham’s status as a world-class sporting destination.”
This announcement is a significant step in The Hundred’s development. Since its launch, the competition has attracted new fans to cricket, increased commercial revenues, and had a transformative impact on women’s cricket.
Nearly 25% of Birmingham Phoenix’s Edgbaston matchgoers are under 16, demonstrating the team’s ability to attract a broad and devoted fan base. In addition, the club has one of the most ethnically diverse fan bases in English cricket, with about one-third of its followers being female.
Birmingham Phoenix has further established itself as a significant part of Birmingham’s athletic landscape by reaching out to thousands of people throughout the region, including schoolchildren, through community activities related to The Hundred.
The Birmingham Phoenix’s 2025 season will begin this summer with a high-profile game in The Hundred, a fierce rivalry against the Trent Rockets, their local rivals. On August 8, the men’s and women’s teams will play a doubleheader on Friday night under floodlights at Edgbaston.
This is the first of the Phoenix’s four home games. On Tuesday, August 12, they play Oval Invincibles; on Sunday, August 17, they play London Spirit; and on Friday, August 22, they play Welsh Fire.
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