The Hundred cricket tournament has experienced a mixed reception in terms of attendance during its fifth year, marked by significant team rebranding and a new private ownership structure. While overall numbers saw a gradual recovery after a slow start, individual venue figures varied, with some experiencing drops while others set new records.
Several teams underwent substantial rebranding for the 2026 season. Northern Superchargers transitioned to Sunrisers Leeds, Oval Invincibles' men's side became MI London, and Manchester Originals were renamed Super Giants. Other teams like Welsh Fire, Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, and Trent Rockets largely retained their identities, while Southern Brave shifted from green and black to navy and red.
These changes appeared to influence attendance figures. Headingley and Old Trafford, venues hosting the rebranded teams, saw a decrease in crowds. In contrast, the Utilita Bowl in Southampton, home of Southern Brave, recovered from a slow start. The Brave's first men's game of the season drew 8,452 spectators, a decrease from the 12,549 at the equivalent fixture in 2025, though this year's match occurred on the last day of the school term.
Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, the smallest of the tournament's grounds, reported record crowds for both its men's and women's Fire teams, with 11,796 fans attending their match against MI London. The timing of matches also played a role, with Cardiff's record crowd achieved on a Saturday night, following two midweek 11:30 BST starts for their women's team.
The London teams dominated attendance figures, with the derby between London Spirit and MI London drawing a record 27,721 spectators for a group stage match in the tournament's history. However, The Oval did not approach sell-out capacity for its fixtures, with 10,271 attending the women's match and 20,124 for the men's, a situation exacerbated by the absence of London teams in the subsequent Eliminator rounds.
Tournament director Vikram Banerjee described the 2026 season as a "better edition" than the previous year and "one of the best" in The Hundred's history. He stated that the quality of play is now second only to the Indian Premier League. Banerjee also highlighted strong broadcast and online audience numbers, indicating growth for the tournament. He emphasized that crowd figures are only one metric, pointing to increased "fandom" and "engagement" as demonstrated by the tournament's social media channels achieving their highest viewerships to date.