Toyota and the ECB: A lesson in global sponsorship that drives local sales

Toyota has been announced as the new Principal Partner of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), in a multi-year deal that will see the automotive giant support England’s men’s, women’s, and disability cricket teams as well as grassroots participation across the country.

At first glance, this is a high-profile global sponsorship. Toyota's brand will be visible across team kits and international match touchpoints, including a packed summer calendar featuring test series against South Africa, India, the West Indies, and a one-off test with Zimbabwe. These matches bring with them global audiences and significant media exposure, including iconic moments like The Ashes that draw attention from cricket fans across the world.

The ECB is one of the most widely respected sports bodies in the UK, and cricket remains one of the most-watched sports across England and Wales. The partnership gives Toyota deep cultural access, connecting the brand with fans in a way that few other platforms can match.

Community engagement

What makes this partnership particularly powerful, though, is how deeply it reaches into the grassroots and the local communities across England and Wales. Toyota is launching a series of initiatives to support cricket at a community level, including:

The Good For Cricket prize draw, aiming to raise over £500,000 for local clubs in its first year, with more than £200,000 in prizes — including three Toyota vehicles.
Backing the ECB’s All Stars Cricket programme, providing 4,000 free places annually for children aged 5–8.
Title partnership of the ECB’s Get Set Weekend, where over 1,700 clubs and 37,000 volunteers prepare grounds and facilities for the season — supported by 100 Toyota Centres.
Becoming the first Official Champion of Disability Cricket, including title partnership of the Disability Premier League and support for inclusive pathways.

This commitment to grassroots and community engagement goes far beyond visibility — it’s about meaningful, long-term activation in the places that matter.

Scott Thompson, President and Managing Director at Toyota commented:

"By deepening our partnership with the ECB as its Principal Partner for men's, women's, disability and grassroots cricket, we can help support and inspire both the current and next generation of players, volunteers and fans who make cricket happen. At Toyota, mobility is at the heart of everything we do and through these initiatives, we're helping more people enjoy cricket, be active and connect through sport.”

Toyota are not the only brand to leverage the ECB for local engagement. In September, The Sponsor spoke with Danielle Lee, Marketing Director of Metro Bank about their partnership with England Women's and girl's cricket.

The business case

Toyota operates 180 dealerships across the UK. Every local club it supports, every youth player introduced to the sport, and every family volunteering at their community cricket ground represents not just engagement but potential customer connections.

In automotive, trust and familiarity are key demand drivers. People are more likely to buy from brands they see regularly, interact with, and associate with positive experiences. By placing itself at the heart of English and Welsh communities, Toyota turns awareness into affinity and affinity into sales.

A global brand message

The partnership, which was put together in part by EsscenceMediacom and Two Circles, also ties directly into Toyota’s global brand message of Mobility for All, through its support for disability cricket and inclusive access to the game.

It’s a proven playbook. In Australia, Toyota’s Good for Cricket programme has raised over AU$12 million (£5.6 million) for community clubs, with more than 1,000 teams supported each season. That same model - high-profile national sponsorship, activated through local community impact — is now being rolled out in the UK.

This is what great sponsorships do: they align brand purpose with business objectives, global reach with local action, and fan engagement with commercial outcomes.