MCC And Anglo-Indian Announce Partnership

Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced that Anglo Indian (AI), the real estate development and investment company, has become the first sponsor of the MCC Cricket Academy.  The four year agreement delivers a comprehensive package of sponsorship rights covering the constituent parts of the MCC Cricket Academy - the Indoor Cricket School, Nursery Ground and MCC Young Cricketers Squad - and is the first deal of its kind in MCC’s 224-year history.

In another historic first, a brand licence agreement has been signed between MCC Overseas Limited (MCCO), a newly incorporated subsidiary of MCC, and Anglo Indian.  MCCO has licensed Anglo Indian the right to use some of MCC’s marks in India in connection with a range of high quality cricket facilities – each branded and inspired by MCC and Lord’s – to be built in up to twelve new residential communities.

These new communities will be developed and operated entirely by Anglo Indian, in up to twelve locations from Delhi in the north to Bangalore in the south of India.  All will follow similar lines with an MCC branded cricket academy and ground, together with an MCC Lord’s branded members’ club.  MCCO’s role will be to ensure that MCC’s marks, under licence to AI, are used in the agreed form and to the high standards associated with the Club as set out in the agreement.

Keith Bradshaw, MCC Secretary & Chief Executive, said:

"We are thrilled to welcome Anglo Indian as the first sponsor of the MCC Cricket Academy at Lord’s.  Their support will help us to continue to invest in our top-class practice facilities and the MCC Young Cricketers set-up, which has a great record in producing professional players.  We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with Anglo Indian in the years to come. 

"With regard to the separate brand licence, MCC has not lightly embarked on the creation of MCCO, the entity responsible for this new agreement with Anglo Indian.  The opportunity to license the exploitation of MCC’s marks in India has been under consideration for some time, and we have very carefully evaluated a number of opportunities presented to the Club.  Anglo Indian’s vision for new cricket-themed communities in India is an attractive proposition because it is a thorough, innovative proposal that offers a platform positively to showcase everything that the MCC and Lord’s brands stand for.  This is an exciting project for MCCO, in a cricket-loving nation, and we are confident that Anglo Indian will attract significant investment for their plans over the next decade."

Simon Reid, Chairman of Anglo Indian, said:

"It is enormously exciting to have signed this brand licence agreement.  The MCC and Lord’s brands are revered the world over and we are delighted to be part of taking them to India for the first time.  It’s a nation with such a passion for cricket and we look forward to our new communities being an integral part of this.   At the ‘Home of Cricket’ we are also proud to be the first ever sponsors of the MCC Cricket Academy, which perfectly complements our activities in India."

Anglo Indian is actively negotiating agreements with developers and landowners in multiple locations across India.  The development schedule will vary according to the scale of individual projects, but will generally take two to three years from commencement to completion, starting with the building of the MCC Cricket Academy, the members’ club and associated retail and hospitality facilities, around which the serviced apartments and villas will be planned.

There are a number of income streams from which MCCO is entitled to earn royalties.  These include the sale and rental of residential units, subscription fees for the members’ club and branded merchandise.