Durrant Pate/Contributor

The Jamaican Government, through its ministries of sport and tourism, is advanced in finalising arrangements to reintroduce a local franchise to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in August 2026.

This will be done through a public-private partnership. The development comes as the GOJ continues its push to establish Jamaica as a premier destination to watch, participate in and discuss sports. 

In this regard, Kingston is recognised as a strategic pillar for diversifying the island’s tourism offerings, aiming to create integrated visitor experiences that encompass business, heritage, food, cultural attractions, sports, and entertainment. 

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and his counterpart in the Ministry of Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, are working to conclude the discussions and ensure the necessary arrangements are put in place for a new Jamaican CPL franchise next summer.

Collaborating with CPL team

For Minister Bartlett, “Sports tourism is a critical component in the experiential offerings of tourism for destination Jamaica. Minister of Culture ‘Babsy’ Grange and myself have been collaborating with the CPL team, and particularly the franchise holder in Jamaica, to ensure that, along with the cricket board we’re able to advance quality cricket offerings at destination Jamaica. We are committed to working with the teams, and we look forward to the outcomes that will ensure to the constant building of sports tourism as a driver for visitor arrivals and revenue in Jamaica.”

For her part, Minister Grange remarked, “The discussions have been ongoing for a while now and they are going very well. We have resolved many of the challenges and I’m very confident that we will welcome a new CPL franchise to Jamaica in the new season.” 

CPL chief executive officer Peter Russell said, “CPL is very excited at the prospect of a return to Jamaica. We are delighted that there has been significant investment in Sabina Park and have had fruitful and engaging discussions with the Government and other stakeholders about securing a seventh CPL team which will be domiciled in Jamaica for the 2026 season”.

“We have seen the impact that CPL has made on promoting host nations as premier tourism destinations. We look forward to working with our partners to achieve similar success in Jamaica. We are hopeful that these negotiations will reach a positive conclusion in the coming months,” he added.