Poor Pakistan form, 1 bidder: PCB sells home broadcasting rights for half price

The PCB sold home broadcasting rights for 25 internationals to PTV for half the price after receiving only one bid. The cut-price deal exposes weak market appetite for Pakistan games as the team has underperformed in recent times.

In Short

• PTV won with a low bid of 350 million
• Latest broadcasting agreement includes 25 home matches across three formats
• Weak national-team results cooled sponsor and advertiser interest

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was forced to sell its broadcasting rights for 25 international home matches at around half of the reserve price because only the state broadcaster PTV made the bid. A reliable source said that the PCB had issued a tender a few days back for the broadcasting rights with a reserve price but didn't allow interested parties to bid as a consortium as has happened in the recent past.

With no consortium allowed to bid for the rights, the state-owned Pakistan Television Corporation won with a low bid of 350 million, which is much lower than the reserve price set at 600 million rupees by the Board.

The latest broadcasting agreement includes 25 home matches, including five Tests, 14 ODIs and six T20Is.

Pakistan are scheduled to play three T20Is against Sri Lanka this month, followed by a seven-match triangular ODI series involving England. Two Tests against Sri Lanka are scheduled for the next month.

"The problem is that the performance of the national teams have been below par in recent times and sponsors and advertisers for now are aloof," the source said.

The source added that since at least three broadcasters still owe money to the Board for previous deals they made as consortiums, the field of interested bidders shrunk badly.

"These broadcasters who owe money were not barred from participating in the bidding process, they chose not to take part. A company that has acquired most of Pakistan cricket's rights in the past also showed no interest," the source added.

For now, the broadcasting rights sold by the PCB include three T20 internationals against Ireland in January 2027 followed by a seven match triangular series involving Ireland and Zimbabwe.

As things stand Zimbabwe have indicated they are not in a position to travel to Pakistan because of their internal board issues.

Even when the Pakistan Super League's 11th edition was held earlier this year with two new teams, the PCB didn't get required response for the broadcasting rights. In fact, one broadcaster who brought last year's rights to the PSL still owes the board in billions.

- Ends