Dehring: Cricket West Indies needs another $20-25m annually to expand

Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Chris Dehring said the organisation needs an additional US$20–25 million annually to fund expanded tournaments and other programmes, noting that traditional Caribbean sponsorships cannot realistically cover the costs due to the region’s small economies. CWI recently introduced a number of cost-cutting measures, including reducing player retainers and suspending the men’s Super50 and women’s T20 Blaze tournaments. Dehring said the changes aim to improve the organization’s finances while finding new funding for West Indies cricket. “The reality is that if we wanted to do everything that we really need to do, have expanded tournaments and so on, you’re probably looking at trying to generate an additional $20 to $25 million per year to be able to do all the things you want to do,” Dehring said. Dehring said CWI must seek revenue outside the Caribbean, including expanding into Canada and investing in cricket-related properties, as regional companies lack the marketing budgets needed to support major sponsorship deals. “Most companies in the Caribbean don’t have that kind of growth,” he said. Dehring said staging the two-week Super50 tournament costs about US$4 million, raising concerns about whether Caribbean companies would invest such large sums when other marketing options, like social media, are available. CWI is exploring new revenue opportunities in Canada, including partnerships with teams and sponsors. It also plans to develop high-performance centers, academies and cricket simulators across the Caribbean to attract investment and promote sports tourism. Dehring said CWI aims to reduce spending while developing new income sources, as revenue from traditional tours, including India, has declined. He added that the organization has not yet secured a television deal for the upcoming India tour.