Cricket at 2028 Olympics could be moved out of LA
The cricket competitions planned for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, could be moved to the East Coast of the United States. This tactical move is being contemplated to cater to the huge Indian audience and leverage the massive domestic market for cricket in America. The details were disclosed by Casey Wasserman, chair of the host committee.
Cricket's Olympic return after 128 years
Cricket will make a historic return to the Olympic roster after a 128-year hiatus, in the T20 format. The final decision on venues for both men's and women's competitions is yet to be made. However, these events will likely be held on the East Coast due to its more favorable time zone for Indian viewers, compared to the West Coast.
East Coast's potential as cricket venue
Notably, the East Coast (New York) has already hosted a few preliminary-round matches of the ICC T20 World Cup earlier this year. The East Coast is nine-and-a-half hours behind India, which means Indian viewers could watch the matches live. Los Angeles, on the other hand, lags behind by 12-and-a-half hours which could affect viewership numbers.
LA28 organizers aim to maximize Indian viewership
Wasserman said at a Business of Sports Summit in Austin, Texas, that the LA28 organizers are eager to maximize cricket viewership in India. However, he did not mention which venue on the East Coast could host the cricket matches. This year's T20 World Cup matches in the US were played at three venues: Dallas, Fort Lauderdale and a temporary stadium constructed on Long Island outside New York City.
Cricket among 6 new sports in LA28 Olympics
Cricket is among six sports, including baseball, softball, flag football, squash and lacrosse, that have been added to the LA28 Olympic roster. The sport had previously appeared in the Olympic Games once before in 1900. Wasserman proposed that existing infrastructure could be used for these events to create "more than $150 million in savings and new revenue to help maintain a balanced budget (for the Olympics)."
