Wisden

What Wisden does

Wisden is a private cricket media business operating under the legal entity Cricket Properties Limited (Company No. 10546730), incorporated in England and Wales and headquartered in London, UK. Founded in 1864, the company runs a vertically integrated cricket publishing and digital media platform anchored by the flagship Wisden Cricketers' Almanack annual reference and the Wisden.com editorial site, which provides live scores, news, features, video highlights, photos, quizzes, and podcasts across international cricket formats (Tests, ODIs, T20s) and major franchise tournaments including the IPL, PSL, The Hundred, County Championship, and ICC events. Complementary products include the Wisden Cricket Monthly magazine, the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, The Nightwatchman long-form print/digital publication, The Wisden Shop e-commerce storefront for cricket-themed merchandise, and Cricketbet gambling content integration.

Underlying technology is a content publishing platform—Wisden.com—delivering editorial content via web, podcast (audio), video (YouTube), social channels, and email newsletters. The company's documented technology stack includes advertising tools (LiveRamp for cross-channel identity and interest-based advertising), a data management platform (Lotame for audience segmentation), a payments integration (Klarna in checkout), and a Patreon membership layer for direct reader support. Editions of Wisden.com are localized for UK, Asia, India, and Global audiences. The company has no disclosed mobile app, no public API, and no documented AI/ML features.

The business model combines multiple revenue mechanics: programmatic and direct advertising on owned digital properties, print and digital publication sales (Almanack, Monthly, Nightwatchman), e-commerce merchandise through The Wisden Shop, Patreon membership contributions, and gambling affiliate content via Cricketbet. Pricing is not publicly disclosed for digital content, and the customer base is a horizontal consumer segment of cricket enthusiasts globally, with no named enterprise or B2B customers. The company is privately held, has no parent, has not raised institutional funding rounds, and employs between 11 and 50 people.

Name

Wisden

Legal name

Cricket Properties Limited

Website

https://wisden.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1864

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wisden is a historic cricket media brand (founded 1864) operating Wisden.com, the annual Cricketers' Almanack, a monthly magazine, podcasts, and a merchandise shop to serve cricket enthusiasts globally with editorial coverage and live scores.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Media & Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports & Recreation Magazines (MPAJAEAJ)

Keywords

• Cricket journalism
• Sports media
• Cricket publishing
• Sports news coverage
• Cricket merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wisden runs a cricket-focused digital media platform (wisden.com) delivering live scores, news articles, videos, photos, podcasts, and interactive quizzes covering Tests, ODIs, T20s and franchise tournaments. The company publishes the historic Wisden Cricketers' Almanack annually, the Wisden Cricket Monthly magazine, premium long-form writing in The Nightwatchman, and operates The Wisden Shop for cricket-themed merchandise including books, magazines, clothing, glassware, and memorabilia.

Product overview

Wisden operates as a unified cricket media platform combining digital content delivery, publications, and e-commerce. The core offering is Wisden.com, which provides live scores, news, and multimedia content including videos, photos, and quizzes. Supporting the digital platform are the flagship Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (annual publication), Wisden Cricket Monthly (magazine), and Wisden Podcasts. The Wisden Shop extends the brand into merchandise sales, while The Nightwatchman offers premium long-form cricket writing. Series-specific coverage for IPL, County Championship, PSL, ICC T20 World Cup, and other tournaments integrates into the main platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wisden.com Wisden's flagship digital cricket platform delivering live scores, news articles, match fixtures and results, series coverage, features, videos, photos, and quizzes to cricket fans worldwide across Tests, ODIs, T20s, IPL, PSL, ICC events, and other tournaments.
• Wisden Cricketers' Almanack The authoritative annual cricket reference book in publication since 1864, featuring match reports, statistics, records, obituaries, and historical analysis across international and domestic cricket, serving as the flagship editorial product of the Wisden brand.
• Wisden Cricket Monthly Monthly cricket magazine published under the Wisden brand covering current cricket news, in-depth features, interviews, and analysis, delivered to cricket enthusiasts as a recurring subscription-style reading product.
• Wisden Podcasts Audio on-demand content including the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast hosted by Yas Rana, delivering cricket news, analysis, and discussions to listeners.
• The Nightwatchman A premium cricket publication delivered in print and digital formats, featuring long-form cricket writing and photography for discerning cricket readers.
• The Wisden Shop E-commerce storefront selling cricket-themed merchandise including books, magazines, drinks, glassware, clothing, gifts, framed art, and signed memorabilia to cricket fans and collectors, supported by Klarna-powered checkout.
• Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast Weekly cricket news and analysis podcast hosted by Yas Rana, covering the latest developments across Test, ODI, T20, and franchise cricket including flagship events like IPL, PSL, and ICC tournaments.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cricket Country: A digital cricket news and live-scores platform covering international and franchise cricket. Overlaps with Wisden.com on cricket news, scores, and editorial cricket coverage.
• ESPNcricinfo: The leading digital cricket media platform globally, offering live scores, news, video, and analysis across all cricket formats. Directly competes with Wisden.com for cricket fans' attention and digital ad spend.
• CricTracker: A digital cricket media platform providing cricket news, live scores, match analysis, and editorial features. Direct competitor in the cricket content / live-scoring digital space targeting global cricket fans.
• The Cricketer: A UK-based cricket magazine and digital media outlet covering international and domestic cricket with editorial features and analysis. Compares directly to Wisden Cricket Monthly and Wisden.com as an English-language cricket media brand.
• CricketArchive: A historical cricket statistics and records database. Comparable to Wisden's Almanack archive and statistics credentials, serving cricket researchers and enthusiasts seeking reference and historical cricket data.
• Cricbuzz: One of the most-used cricket digital platforms globally, particularly strong in India, offering live scores, news, editorial content, and a mobile app. Directly overlaps Wisden's cricket coverage and audience.

Broad incumbents

• Sportstar: An established multi-sport magazine and digital outlet with strong cricket coverage. Comparable to Wisden Cricket Monthly as a sports magazine brand with a wider portfolio than Wisden's cricket-only focus.
• The Athletic: A subscription-driven digital sports media company covering multiple sports with deep editorial staff. Comparable to Wisden's digital subscription / Patreon model, although operating at a much larger scale across broader sports.
• BBC Sport (Cricket): BBC's cricket vertical is one of the UK's most-trafficked cricket news and live-score destinations. Overlaps with Wisden.com in the UK cricket media market and competes for editorial authority and audience attention.

Emerging players

• Baseball America: A single-sport media brand focused on baseball coverage, statistics, and prospect analysis with print and digital products. Mirrors Wisden's single-sport vertical-specialist model in a comparable bat-and-ball sport.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WisdenCricket
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/wisdencricket
• Facebookfacebook.com/WisdenCric
• Instagraminstagram.com/wisden_cricket
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wisden1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wisden