Jude Bellingham buys stake in Birmingham Phoenix cricket team Footballing megastar Jude Bellingham has returned to his Birmingham roots to invest in the city's Hundred cricket team, with the Real Madrid midfielder's involvement set to be announced on Wednesday Comments Sport Scott Trotter 19:29, 21 Apr 2026 View Image Jude Bellingham is set to be announced as an owner of Birmingham Phoenix (Image: Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Former Birmingham City star Jude Bellingham has bought a 1% stake in the Birmingham Phoenix cricket team. The Real Madrid and England ace is set to be confirmed as an owner of the Hundred franchise on Wednesday. The 22-year-old is reported to have claimed a share worth at least £800,000 in the team that plays its matches at Edgbaston . Bellingham is a noted cricket fan, who played at junior level for Hagley Cricket Club in Worcestershire . Birmingham Phoenix share an owner with Birmingham City in American investment group Knighthead Capital Management . American NFL icon Tom Brady is involved with the group. FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK! All the latest Blues news on Birmingham Live’s Birmingham City FC Facebook page The investment firm shares ownership of Phoenix with Warwickshire . Knighthead bought their stake in the Hundred team when the eight franchises were put up for sale last year and claimed a 49% share for £48million, with Warwickshire retaining a 51% stake. According to the Times, Bellingham has bought 0.5% from each of Warwickshire and Knighthead. The franchise is said to be worth about £82m. During the sale of The Hundred teams, Warwickshire informed the ECB that they intended to bring in another high-profile investor. New owners would usually be prevented from selling any shares for a period of five years. If Bellingham has footed up £800,000 for his 1% share, £80,000 of that would be redistributed through the ECB to grassroots cricket. Most of the money would be shared between Warwickshire and Knighthead Capital. Last July the ECB confirmed that they raised more than £500m, with £50m going to grassroots sport as they sold stakes in six teams. Another figure from football, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly, invested in the Trent Rockets through Cain International. He is a co-owner of the company with fellow Chelsea director and co-owner Jonathan Goldstein, and they paid just under £40m for their 49% stake in the Nottingham side. The Sun Group, owner of Indian Premier League side Sunrisers Hyderabad paid more than £100m for a 100% stake in Northern Superchargers, based at Yorkshire's Headingley. Indian company RPSG Group, the owners of Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and Durban's Super Giants in the SA20, purchased 70% of Manchester Originals, while Delhi Capitals owners GMR Group bought 49%of Southern Brave. American-based groups Tech Titans and Washington Freedom completed purchases in London Spirit and Welsh Fire. Speaking at the time, ECB chair Richard Thompson said it was a seminal moment. "The Hundred has already played a vital role in growing cricket in England and Wales - attracting new audiences, elevating the women's game, and delivering high-quality entertainment," he said. "The sheer scale of global interest we've seen throughout this process highlights just how much potential remains to be unlocked. Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more £44 Sky Get the deal here Product Description Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL. Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf. "With these new partners on board, we're entering an exciting new phase and a seminal moment for cricket in England and Wales. Their global perspective and track record in elite sport and business will help us reimagine what's possible - from deepening fan connections to attracting even more world-class players. Article continues below "Crucially, this investment will not only fuel the competition's growth but also channel transformative levels of funding into our professional counties and grassroots game."
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.birminghammail.co.uk