It is perhaps no surprise that cricket's three wealthiest nations -- England, India and Australia -- are in the semi-finals of the World Cup.
The tournament, which will generate some £400 million ($500 million) in broadcast revenues alone, is key in funding the International Cricket Council's work in developing the sport. Yet most of the money still finds its way to cricket's richest countries.
In the 2016-23 broadcasting cycle, of which the 2019 and 2023 World Cup are the key events, some 93 "associate" or junior cricket nations stand to receive £175 million from the ICC, whereas India will get £320 million alone.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has pulled in a number of new sponsors ahead of the showpiece tournament such as Hublot and Uber, with the latter releasing the first-ever Cricket World Cup official anthem.
There is a case that the ICC's commercial intelligence has grown in recent years, with the global media rights deal with Disney-owned Star cited as an example of the benefits of securing a long-term broadcast partner.
The ICC also recently extended its live production agreement with UK-based media company Sunset+Vine to manage the live production of its major tournaments through 2023.
This World Cup is also set to be one of the most inclusive yet as Steve Elworthy, the tournament's managing director, revealed at SportsPro Live 2019.
There is also the aim to engage with younger demographics with Elworthy pledging to fund youth-focused activations funded by tournament revenues.
On the surface it has proved successful, the tournament has proved to be hugely popular, with the over 3.2 million applications for tickets recorded and 800,000 sold.
Brands to broadcast- big size of Indian market for World Cup
The International Cricket Council's (ICC) global broadcast partner for the Cricket World Cup is Disney-owned Indian network Star Sports. Through its subsidiary, Star TV, it broadcasts primarily to India, but also Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Star's distribution efforts ensure that live coverage of ICC events is made available to a potential TV and digital audience of more than 1.5 billion people, helped by its own Hotstar service. Star Sports is reportedly on course to meet its target of $143 million in revenue for cricket's biggest multinational competition.
In fact, as many six Indian brands have lined up as the commercial partners for the sporting event out of twenty, taking India's share to 30 per cent in the total mix.
Participation from Indian brands in the last two World Cup editions have not been as prominent as this year.
Host city makes money
The ICC has also signed up more than 20 brands as commercial partners for the World Cup in England and Wales.
The broadcast and sponsor revenues go to the ICC, and the publications and ticket revenues go to the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), who have also pledged to put the money back into the game - to schools and clubs, and into the tournament itself. Meanwhile, all the revenue from hospitality, food, drink, and car parking goes to the match venue.
Demand for tickets has been high, with more than 3 million applicants for just over 650,000 match tickets. Arguably the most sought-after ticket of the entire tournament has been for India's meeting with Pakistan at Manchester's Old Trafford ground on June 16, with resale sites selling tickets from anywhere between $600 to $3,700.
Australia loses some financial group for ball tampering scandal
Four years on from winning the Cricket World Cup on home soil in Melbourne, Australia no longer look to be the all-conquering cricket machine of the past. The one-year suspensions for Steve Smith and David Warner for ball tampering come to an end just in time for the World Cup but the question will remain are they on top of their game.
The scandal saw Cricket Australia lose the support of the Magellan Financial Group and Qantas Airlines but as the body tries to move on and change culture it received a boost by securing a new shirt sponsor on the eve of the World Cup.
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