CPL: Is brand hype clashing with sporting reality?

Its launch was accompanied by a whirlwind of high-profile players, Hollywood A-listers, and IPL ownership groups, who gilded the competition with glitz and glamour as it established itself as the world’s number-two franchise tournament, pre-pandemic.

Crucially, the CPL benefitted from a cast of Caribbean players who were trailblazers in the format and in hot demand. Remembered today as the T20 Goat generation, the Caribbean was home to the best of the best, with players like Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, and Andre Russell leading the way. 

More to the point, West Indian presence wasn’t limited to the CPL, with representation regularly reaching double figures in the IPL as well.

That was then, but where are we now?

It feels like every season is accompanied by a statement proclaiming that the CPL has broken yet more viewership ground. But there is a sense among well-informed observers that the hype outside the region has faded. In fact, it feels like danger signs are on the horizon regarding the long-term viability of the product.

For the 2025 edition, executives boasted that the competition set an all-time record with a combined global digital and linear viewership of 1.17 billion, a 3.5% increase on the previous year. And alongside viewership, the social media conversation is estimated to have peaked at 84,000 posts.

2026 will undoubtedly see higher reported numbers.

CPL rightly continues to boast about its many commercial partners in the Caribbean and its expansion to Hindi-language channels and highlights. It is also hard to ignore that physical attendance has grown in this year’s competition, with near sell-outs in Saint Lucia and Antigua and the usual buzz in Guyana and Trinidad. 

Following the theme, finals week will be in Barbados this season, and tickets have shifted very well. To add to the spectacle, the night before the final, there will be a well-publicised Live & Louder Mega Concert featuring many of the biggest artists in the Caribbean.

So what could there possibly be to critique? When there is clear growth in your home market and local fans are loving the product, is it just sour grapes to suggest the tournament needs improving? Surely the declared economic growth in respective countries is making CPL an undeniable benefit for the Caribbean?

Numbers, numbers, numbers aside, one could argue that increased reach does not equate to brand buzz. Is there really a global conversation about CPL? Do international media care about the tournament? Does the league retain the star power it once boasted? 

Can you answer any of those questions with a firm yes?

Then there’s the notion of whether the quality on the pitch befits a competition that claims to be the Caribbean’s elite tournament.

Across the last few seasons, Caribbean Cricket Podcast has been at pains to point out that for all the ‘Biggest Party in Sport’ brand identity, a sport’s consumption still depends on the quality of the sport itself. 

At the time of writing, the only new West Indian batter among the top six run scorers in this year's competition is Kamil Pooran, and he is a 30-year-old underachieving journeyman.

In terms of bowlers, the only new name is 25-year-old Joshua James, and there is an asterisk there because of recent concerns over his bowling action.

By no means is the conclusion that no new talent exists, but a successful brand needs easily recognisable stars. Take a cursory look at the big names among the current rosters and a worrying trend reveals itself.

Jamaica Kingsmen: Rovman Powell 33, Andre Russell 38

Trinbago Knight Riders: Kieron Pollard 39, Sunil Narine 38

Guyana Amazon Warriors: Imran Tahir 47

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots: Johnson Charles 37, Andre Fletcher 38, Jason Holder 34, Kyle Mayers 33

Saint Lucia Kings: Roston Chase 34 

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons: Evin Lewis 34 

Did you spot it? Arguably, these teams' more marketable names are due to retire within the next one to five years. 

Those are just eleven names picked very quickly. Now set yourself the challenge of naming eleven recognisable players who could fill that void.

The natural cycle of sport means players are naturally replaced with a new crop, but in the case of the CPL, it looks like they may be dealing with the law of diminishing returns.

A failure to plan has left them with a race against time to grow the game in the Caribbean in a meaningful way. You can tell people your brand is breaking all kinds of records, but eyes don’t lie. Quality and hype are easily distinguishable from one another.

The big question is where the next high-quality generation is coming from. It’s a question that needs answering, and it’s one of many conundrums that need to be resolved if the CPL’s on-field offering is genuinely going to match its alleged growth off of it.

Since we’re asking questions, it makes sense to draw up a list.

This is not a hatchet job on the Caribbean Premier League, as at its core it clearly ensures more Caribbean players can earn a living from cricket. However, when the 50-year CPL deal was signed in 2013 with the then WICB, few would have predicted that 13 years later we would sit on the precipice of a succession crisis, both domestic and international.

CPL was born out of and profited from regional talent that stood on top of the world. Now, said tournament has overseen a decline of epic proportions, and no amount of social media boasts about digital reach can escape that reality.

This may be an uncomfortable read for some, but ignoring obvious issues will only compound them. It’s time for some honest conversations. Without them, the future, if there is one, will be bleak.