urban-gro, Inc. Positions for Entry into Multi-Billion-Dollar T20 Cricket Market with LPL Season Six Player Auction on May 15, 2026 via IPG Platform
LAFAYETTE, Colo., March 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- urban-gro, Inc.(Nasdaq: UGRO) ("urban-gro" or the "Company"), operating as Flash Sports & Media, Inc., a vertically integrated sports, media, and experiential platform, today announced its entry into the global T20 cricket market through the LPL Season Six Player Auction on May 15, 2026, executed via the Innovative Production Group FZ, LLC (IPG) platform. The milestone positions the Company within a multi-billion-dollar sports media ecosystem serving an estimate global fan base of 2.5 billion people, with a strategy focused on monetizing media rights, sponsorship, and live experiences at scale.
Key LPL 2026 Milestones:
- Player Registration Window: April 18, 2026 through May 2, 2026
- Player Draft / Auction Date: Targeted for May 15, 2026
- Franchise Onboarding: By April 18, 2026
- Tournament Window: July 9, 2026 through August 7, 2026
Leveraging its IPG platform, the Company is pursuing participation in the global T20 cricket ecosystem, a growing segment of sports media, and is evaluating potential opportunities across media, sponsorship, and live experiential offerings, subject to commercial arrangements and market conditions. The upcoming LPL player auction represents a key operational milestone in the commercialization cycle of the league, establishing the foundation for team formation, content creation, sponsorship activation and potential downstream media monetization.
Bradley Nattrass, Chief Executive Officer of urban-gro, Inc., stated: "The player auction represents a key milestone in the LPL ecosystem, which we believe may support early engagement from sponsors, media partners, and fans ahead of tournament play. Through Flash Sports & Media and IPG, we are focused on executing across production, commercialization, and distribution to support long-term strategic objectives.”
Anil Mohan, Chief Executive Officer of Innovative Production Group (IPG), added "We believe LPL 2026 provides a structured and scalable platform for global cricket with potential commercial and broadcast opportunities, subject to market conditions and partner arrangements. Our focus is on delivering world-class production, operational excellence, and a seamless execution framework that supports franchises, players, and commercial partners, and in turn, we believe this creates a strong foundation for international expansion."
The Company is not affiliated with, and does not own, any Lanka Premier League franchise or governing body. References to league operations and market developments are provided solely for general industry context. The Company's involvement in the Lanka Premier League is conducted through its subsidiary Innovative Production Group FZ LLC and related commercial arrangements. The Company does not own the Lanka Premier League or any participating franchise, and its economic participation is limited to its contractual rights and services.
About urban-gro, Inc.
Following its recent combination with Flash Sports & Media, Inc. (“Flash”) and integration of Innovative Production Group FZ LLC, urban-gro, Inc. is a diversified sports, media, and experiential marketing platform focused on the creation, production, and monetization of live events, original content, and branded fan experiences. The Company operates across multiple sports and entertainment verticals, leveraging proprietary intellectual property, strategic partnerships, and experiential activations to engage audiences and deliver value for brands, sponsors, and media partners.
About Lanka Premier League
The Lanka Premier League has established itself as one of the region's most dynamic and widely followed T20 tournaments, bringing together top Sri Lankan cricketers and leading international stars in an electrifying showcase of the game. The league is owned and operated by the IPG Group, its official rights holder. The sixth edition of the LPL was staged from December 1 to December 23, 2025, across three premier venues - Colombo, Dambulla, and Kandy. Fans were able to experience 24 high-octane matches over 24 days, featuring marquee overseas players alongside Sri Lankan cricketing stalwarts. https://srilankacricket.lk/2025/12/sixth-edition-of-lanka-premier-league-set-for-july-august-2026/
About Twenty20 Cricket
Twenty20 is called T20 because it is a shortened, fast-paced format of cricket where each team plays maximum of 20 overs (120 legal balls). Introduced to increase entertainment and attract new audiences it was developed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003 to make matches last roughly three and a half hours. For more information, visit: www.t20worldcup.com
For more information, visit https://flashsportsandmedia.com
https://www.theipggroup.com
Investor Contact:
Investors@flashsm.com
Source: urban gro, Inc ( d/b/a Flash Ports and Media, Inc)
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's expectations, beliefs, or intentions regarding the potential benefits of its recent business combination with Flash Sports & Media, Inc., the development and commercialization of sports and media platforms, participation in the global T20 cricket ecosystem, anticipated market opportunities, expansion into new geographic markets, and potential future revenues, partnerships, or infrastructure-related opportunities. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “seek,” “estimate,” “potential,” or similar expressions.
These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: risks relating to the Company's reliance on third-party leagues, event operators, and commercial partners; uncertainties regarding sponsorship, media rights, and audience engagement; the Company's ability to successfully integrate Flash Sports & Media and realize anticipated synergies; the Company's ability to develop, monetize, and scale its sports, media, and experiential business lines; the timing and success of expansion into new markets; the Company's ability to establish or maintain strategic relationships, partnerships, or commercial arrangements; the extent to which industry developments referenced in this press release translate into opportunities for the Company; the Company's ability to generate revenues from its current or anticipated operations; general economic, market, and industry conditions; competitive dynamics within the sports and media sectors; regulatory and legal considerations; and the Company's ability to maintain compliance with applicable listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC.
Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements can be found in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.