The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had to face a setback in its latest broadcast rights tender after the rights for 25 international home matches were reportedly sold to state-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) for PKR 350 million.
The price is far below the PCB’s reserve price of PKR 600 million, which shows how little competition there was for the latest Pakistan cricket broadcast package.
PTV became the only bidder for the rights after the PCB had invited offers through a tender. The deal is based on 25 matches with five Tests, 14 One-Day Internationals, and six T20 Internationals. The agreement represents a gap of PKR 250 million between the board’s reserve price and the final amount offered by the sole bidder.
The recent development has placed a spotlight on the commercial challenges faced by Pakistan cricket. According to reports cited by other media houses, the PCB did not allow interested broadcasters to submit bids as part of a consortium, unlike other rights arrangements. PTV was the only broadcaster to bid for the package due to the lack of consortium bidding.
Limited Broadcaster Interest
The lack of competition is considered to be the main reason for the lower-than-expected value of the deal. Pakistan’s recent performances have affected the interest of sponsors and advertisers, one source said. The same source also mentioned overdue payments to broadcasters that had earlier participated in rights agreements.
Several big broadcasters are still owing significant dues to the PCB for previous contracts, but they were not prohibited from taking part in the latest tender and instead chose not to put in any bids. One large corporation that had already bought a significant portion of the share of Pakistan cricket broadcasting rights at the time of the last tender was also reported to have shown no interest in the current deal.
The commercial response comes at a time when the PCB is looking to maximise revenue from international cricket. Broadcast rights are among the board’s key commercial assets, with the difference between the reserve price and final agreement key to its revenue expectations.
What Matches Are Included?
The 25-match package will also include a series of international matches to be played in Pakistan. The immediate schedule includes three T20 internationals against Sri Lanka, followed by a seven-match ODI tri-series with England. Pakistan will also play two Tests against Sri Lanka.
The package extends to 2027 as well. It will reportedly include three T20Is against Ireland in January and a seven-match triangular ODI series between Ireland and Zimbabwe. But there is uncertainty about Zimbabwe’s involvement because of its cricket administration problems. The PCB has not yet confirmed all the reported changes.
The uncertainty about future fixtures would also be relevant for the commercial value of the package. Broadcasters often consider not only the number of matches but also the teams involved, audience interest, the timing of the games, and the reliability of the calendar before getting into media rights.
PSL Rights Also In Focus
The latest development has also brought attention to the PCB’s broader experience with broadcast rights. The Pakistan Super League faced questions of broadcaster participation earlier this year, but the PCB in February said Walee Technologies had offered PKR 26.11 billion for 2026-29 PSL TV broadcast and live-streaming rights, more than the collective reserve price.
The international home-match deal is therefore a different commercial situation from the PSL agreement. While the league has a very strong rights commitment, the latest international package received only one bid and was sold below its reserve figure.
For the PCB, the challenge now goes beyond coverage of the upcoming matches. The board will also need to keep broadcaster confidence, control outstanding commercial payments, and ensure future rights packages attract more competition.
The PKR 350 million agreement does not determine the long-term commercial value of Pakistan cricket. But the gap between the PKR 600 million reserve price and the final bid shows the difficulty the board faced in this particular tender. With a busy home schedule ahead, the response from broadcasters, sponsors, and advertisers will remain an important factor in the PCB’s commercial planning.
