ICC Champions Trophy to net Birmingham £25m

Birmingham’s economy is set to receive a £25.3m (US$32.5m, €29m) boost as a result of Edgbaston hosting several matches from the ICC Champions Trophy.

According to a new study compiled by Marketing Birmingham Regional Observatory, the June 2017 event will attract more than 120,000 spectators to the city for five matches.

The ICC Champions Trophy is contested by the top eight ranked international cricket teams.

Edgbaston has been lined up to host high-profile matches such as England v Australia and India v Pakistan, as well as Australia vs New Zealand and Pakistan v South Africa.

The ground – widely acknowledged as one of the most atmospheric in England – will also stage one of the semi-finals.

Neil Snowball, chief executive of Edgbaston Stadium, highlighted the ground’s “leading role” in hosting the 2013 edition of the tournament, which reached a television audience of 2.1m.

Visit Birmingham’s director of marketing and communication, Emma Gray, revealed the role sport had played in Birmingham experiencing a 17 per cent increase in tourists since 2010.

“Birmingham has a proven track record of successfully delivering major global championships and events,” she added. “The city has demonstrated over the past 12 months that it possesses the infrastructure and unrivalled connectivity to host fans at the Diamond League athletics, Davis Cup tennis and Rugby World Cup.”