The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sold broadcasting rights for 25 international home matches to state-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) for 350 million Pakistani rupees, significantly below the reserve price of 600 million rupees, according to a report. The development comes amid limited interest from broadcasters, with PTV emerging as the only bidder for the rights.
The latest agreement covers five Tests, 14 ODIs and six T20 internationals to be played in Pakistan. The PCB had reportedly set a reserve price for the tender but did not permit interested broadcasters to participate through consortiums, a format used in previous rights agreements. The absence of consortium bidding is understood to have contributed to the limited response to the tender.
A source cited in the report attributed the lack of interest partly to the recent performance of Pakistan's national teams, which has affected the interest of sponsors and advertisers. The source also said that at least three broadcasters still have outstanding payments from earlier rights agreements made through consortium arrangements. While those broadcasters were not barred from the latest tender, they chose not to participate.
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The rights package also includes three T20 internationals against Ireland in January 2027, followed by a seven-match triangular ODI series involving Ireland and Zimbabwe. However, Zimbabwe has indicated that it may not be able to travel to Pakistan because of issues within its cricket administration. The uncertainty surrounding some scheduled fixtures adds another challenge to the PCB's broadcasting plans.
The PCB has faced similar difficulties in securing strong broadcast interest for the Pakistan Super League. Despite the league's 11th edition featuring two new teams earlier this year, the board reportedly did not receive the expected response for the broadcasting rights. One broadcaster involved in the previous year's PSL rights deal is also reported to have outstanding dues running into billions of rupees.
The latest agreement highlights the financial pressures facing the PCB's commercial operations as it seeks to generate revenue from international cricket and domestic competitions. With broadcaster interest weakened by outstanding payments, recent team performances and uncertainty around some fixtures, the board's decision to award the latest package to PTV at 350 million rupees represents a substantial reduction from the reserve price it had originally set.
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