New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has announced a ground-breaking strategic partnership with an MLC franchise that will debut in the 2027 season. The franchise is currently owned by a consortium called True North Sports Ventures (TNS) headed by MLC co-founders Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan. As a minority member, the consortium will also include the investment arm of the NFL franchise San Francisco 49ers. Cricbuzz understands that the consortium is also in talks with a top-tier Bollywood celebrity to join the ranks. This strategic deal will be a first of its kind where a national governing body for cricket has ventured out of its precinct to be part of an alien league held in a completely different country. The partnership, as revealed to Cricbuzz, is two fold. NZC is set to obtain a minority equity in the franchise as well as spearhead their cricketing operations for high performance, player development and management by leveraging their cricketing ecosystem. That arrangement includes cross utilisation of coaches, NZC contracted players and integration of the NZC domestic system with the franchise. "MLC and cricket in the United States will greatly benefit from NZC's expertise. However, we will be compensated for providing these high-performance services and being a partner with these MLC franchises, which is a significant benefit for us. We have the opportunity to take equity stakes in the franchise, and thereby we have the opportunity to benefit from the growth of cricket in the US from a financial perspective when MLC gets lucrative. According to Scott Weenink, who spoke with Cricbuzz, "that's very appealing to us to potentially grow our revenue base, which provides an opportunity to invest in our own game, in our community game, in our pathways game, and also in our high performance game." A source close to the proceedings confirmed to Cricbuzz that NZC will be starting off small at the equity level but have an option to go 'really deep'. They further claimed NZC has a path to being a significant and substantial minority player rather than just a mere service provider. Sameer Mehta underscored the strategic need for an upcoming franchise to partner with industry experts like NZC and San Francisco 49ers. Mehta is of the opinion that forming partnerships with these world-class businesses two years prior to the debut of the franchise provides crucial momentum for methodically constructing not only the team but also a culture and identity based on the franchise's long-term vision. "Since the NZC are coming in early with us, they actually have time to analyze and build what they want on the high performance side. They are, in my opinion, the best high-performance entity in the world. They really know how to completely magnify a small talent pool, which also reflects the level of talent pool in the USA's cricketing landscape. Mehta told Cricbuzz that "they want to make this an example of how they can operate outside of New Zealand." "Equally pleased with our partnership with the 49ers, and we hope to utilize its expertise as a robust commercial sporting vehicle. They may be able to assist the franchise in numerous ways, such as securing a top merchandising deal or an excellent advertising partner. We would try to establish connections with major sponsors like Gatorade, which is currently a partner. You want to talk to their venue guys and get some advice on how to do special things in your venue. Mehta added, "These guys will bring the American aspect, and NZC will bring the cricketing elements." Despite having limited financial resources and the additional challenge of operating in a country with a small population where cricket is arguably only the third-most followed sport, NZC has consistently performed above its weight and emerged as one of the leading cricketing nations in terms of growth and governance. Similar to their national cricket teams, NZC has also consistently performed above its weight. While the quality of cricket remains high in their domestic T20 competition, the Super Smash, New Zealand's prime time incompatibility with the Indian broadcast market-combined with unfavourable macro-economic indicators such as a small population and an even smaller cricketing market meant that the league's unit economics couldn't generate the kind of substantial revenue needed to diversify NZC's income meaningfully, especially when compared to their share of ICC grants. Weenink believes that one of the first steps in their five-year strategic plan to diversify their revenue streams is entering the MLC. "Despite the fact that New Zealand is a small market and our time zones aren't necessarily very helpful for the Indian broadcast market, Super Smash is an extremely high-quality tournament of which we are very proud. To really monetize that tournament, there will always be some challenges. That's not to say that we won't in future, and we may stil invest and franchise the Super Smash. Weenink added, "However, we see the MLC as a separate opportunity for NZC to diversify its revenue streams." As part of its survival instinct, NZC has largely been agile to external stimuli. They hosted a T20I series against Sri Lanka in Florida more than a decade ago, making their first foray into the American market. Though that venture failed to take off, it did little to dampen their willingness to adapt. In point of fact, NZC has maintained a forward-thinking approach, particularly when it comes to navigating the contemporary cricket landscape. They've been pioneers in offering players greater contractual flexibility-being among the first to move away from rigid central contracts and introducing hybrid agreements that reflect the evolving priorities of players in the global T20 era. "Our board is very strategic-minded, innovative, and forward-thinking. We are constantly on the move. We have devised strategies to overcome the obstacles we face because we are well aware of them. For instance, we have fewer players than the majority of nations, but we have a system that identifies talent early and wraps them up to really bring them through and develop them. There are more people in other countries, and they can develop talent in a different way. However, in that respect, we are quite unique. Therefore, the system is nurtured rather than natural." It is understood that the consortium has already begun discussions with Cricket Canada and the city of Brampton, a suburb of Toronto, so it is highly likely that the franchise will be based in Toronto. The franchise could also be based out of Atlanta as part of their contingency plan.