The report – launched at an event at Edgbaston on Wednesday attended by over 100 guests, including county chief executives, sports finance leaders and media – features an updated version of the Financial Performance Index for the 18 first-class counties first introduced last year.
The new Index ranks clubs based on their results on and off the field from 2015 to 2024 (the last ten years where financial data from all counties is available).
With a lower score more desirable, Surrey – who host MI London in The Hundred – retain top spot in the Index with a score of 4.77, around two-and-a-half times superior to that of non-host Leicestershire, who are once again the lowest ranked county on 12.07.
The seven counties with a Hundred franchise all feature in the top ten of the Index, and the average score of the host counties is 7.30 (up from 7.25), compared with 10.00 for the non-hosts (up from 9.07).
Alongside the Index, the report provides detailed analysis of counties’ revenue, total wages, profit/loss, debt and equity positions over the last ten years.
The figures show that the ‘big four’ of Surrey, Lancashire, Hampshire and Warwickshire between them generated 53 per cent (£134m) of the total annual revenue of all 18 first-class counties (£253m) in 2024.
The Leonard Curtis Cricket Finance Report 2026 comes one year on from the sales of stakes in The Hundred’s eight franchise teams, which has generated a £520m windfall for domestic and grassroots cricket.
While hopes have been raised about the long-term outlook for county cricket since The Hundred auction, the report warns the county game faces a “series of financial realities” despite the windfall.
David Brown, a Leonard Curtis director and former batting all-rounder for Gloucestershire and Glamorgan, said: “This year's report shows English cricket at a genuine turning point.
“The £520m Hundred windfall is already helping counties pay down debt and invest in their futures, but the gap between host and non-host counties appears to be widening rather than narrowing and there is a strong possibility this will continue to do so.
“Sussex's financial difficulties are a warning sign for the wider domestic game about the risks of rising costs outpacing revenue.
“The challenge now is ensuring the windfall translates into long-term financial resilience for every county and the pathways that will deliver the next generation of professional players."
Former Ashes-winning England captain Michael Vaughan, who has written the report’s foreword once again, said: “Developments over the past year have shown us that the windfall from The Hundred is urgently needed.
“While they face varying challenges, counties need to be sustainable, 12-months-a year businesses that are not reliant on central ECB funding to survive.”
“I would love to see some of The Hundred money put towards developing county academies, which are jewels in the crown, and to see the county game really coming together and working to improve things, both on and off the field.
“How can they work collaboratively to improve their balance sheets, attendances, memberships and fanbases?”
New features in the Leonard Curtis Cricket Finance Report 2026 include a first Digital Footprint Index for County Cricket, assessing each club’s presence across Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube.
The report also includes new England Player Development Rankings for the period from January 2015 to March 2026, which show a broad correlation between the numbers of England men’s players produced, total appearances, and a county’s position in the Cricket Revenue League.
