Welsh Fire smash ticket, fan and digital records under new ownership

Nation.Cymru staff

Over the past 12 months, Welsh Fire’s brand awareness and reach have increased significantly since Glamorgan Cricket became co-owners of Welsh Fire following the ECB’s sale of The Hundred franchises last year.

As this year’s tournament comes to an end, record-breaking attendances shows how strongly the team has connected with audiences across Wales.

By putting local knowledge, identity and deep audience insight at the heart of the brand, Welsh Fire say it has strengthened its position as one of Wales’ most visible summer sporting teams and entertainment events.

The Hundred was designed from the outset to bring cricket to new audiences, especially children and families. This season Welsh Fire has had record breaking attendance figures for Women’s and Men’s games in Wales with year-on-year growth of nearly 10%. The games drew a diverse audience with more than of buyers were families and nearly 30% women.

Howstat!

The statistics from this year’s tournament, which ran from July 25 to August 12 at Sophia Gardens, include:

Highest volume of tickets ever sold for Welsh Fire since its inception in 2020
Record crowd attendance for a women’s cricket match in Wales
Highest retention levels and highest growth levels of new audiences
Highest number of first-time attendees since the tournament began
Highest net promoter score recorded for Welsh Fire, with more than 60% of fans saying they would return

The good news continues away from the stadium with awareness of Welsh Fire growing across the summer thanks to targeting and creative advertising, including a takeover of Cardiff central station, a cricket ball landing in Central Square and family friendly online ads. This has increased online followers by over 30,000 and social reach is up 2840% since June.

Ed Rice, Chief Commercial Officer at Welsh Fire said: “We understood that Wales needed more than a franchise cricket name, it needed a team that felt Welsh, spoke Welsh, and belonged to Wales.

“We knew where the audiences lived, what they cared about and how to reach families who had never previously considered cricket as a day out. That deep local understanding has driven every decision, and the results speak for themselves.

“In a nation where sporting life has long been defined by rugby and football, Welsh Fire has stepped forward as an elite team the nation can get behind, and the response has been overwhelming. Demand has surged not only across South Wales and the M4 corridor but also from the Southwest of England, showing that Welsh Fire has become a regional magnet, drawing support from far and wide.

“We’re creating an experience people love, and a team of superstars like Phil Salt, Joe Root and Sophie Devine that people are proud to call their own.”

Loud, proud and patriotic

Whilst the summer holidays can be tricky and expensive for families, coupled with the sustained heatwaves this year, the atmosphere at Sophia Gardens this summer has been fun, accessible passionate, and intentionally family focused. Match days also included BMX shows, fire eaters, local bands and saw Newport band Feeder on home soil for the first time in four years. This has led to over 60% of fans saying they would return next year with their families.

Sophia Gardens is no longer a hidden gem in Cardiff and Welsh Fire has allowed the stadium to be loud, proud and patriotic for new audiences to a sport that has traditionally been seen as for older demographics. “Our tagline is ‘Fuel the Fire’ and that’s exactly what this season has done,” added Ed. “The future of Welsh cricket is bright and right now; it’s burning.”

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