The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) traditionally bundled Pakistan Super League global media rights with international rights. The government granted permission for the management committee to sell only the rights of the PSL while keeping daily affairs restricted.
A total of six companies bid for broadcast and live-streaming rights outside Pakistan, with the winning company typically securing PCB contracts. The six participating parties included ARY Communications/Myco, IMC, SuperSport, Willow TV, and Flow Sports.
PCB Secures Lucrative Deal For Pakistan Super League
According to a Cricket Pakistan report, the two-year media rights for PSL were reportedly sold for $450,000 (approximately PKR 1.26 billion), with $225,000 (PKR 63 crore) allocated for the first year. Despite providing three bid review chances for the first time, no company could meet the reserve price.
The PCB has stated that the PSL international media rights for the ninth and tenth editions of the T20 league have witnessed a substantial 41% increase in value. This marks a notable rise compared to the previous contract and highlights the growing significance and commercial appeal of the PSL.
Naila Bhatti – League Commissioner: “The PSL has made a record-breaking sale of international media rights which shows the attraction of the PSL in overseas territories across the world. The PSL continues to grow by leaps and bounds outside of Pakistan as well.”
Rao Usman Hashim – COO TransGroup: “TransGroup is proud to have acquired the global media rights for the Pakistan Super League ninth and tenth editions. TransGroup, as Pakistan’s largest sports business group, has a rich history of supporting and standing behind PSL from the very first season; and has always endeavoured to deliver maximum value for the PCB and the PSL franchise teams.”
“We are excited to grow our media rights business moving forward; and our extremely competitive bid on the PSL global rights is yet another example of our dedication towards the brand, and belief that it is Pakistan’s biggest global sporting product. We look forward to driving a robust global exploitation strategy, that results in maximum reach and commercial value for the PSL.”
The PSL 2024 To Kick Off On February 17 in Lahore
The upcoming season will begin on February 17 in Lahore with a match between defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United at Gaddafi Stadium. A total of 34 matches in the event will be held in four cities, namely Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi.
Karachi will host 11 matches, while Lahore and Rawalpindi will each host nine matches. Five matches of the event will be played in Multan. The playoff matches will be held in Karachi. The summit clash of the tournament will be played at the National Stadium on March 18.
Star Pakistani batter Babar Azam is the leading run scorer in the tournament’s history. Babar has scored 2935 runs in 79 matches at an average of 43.80 and a strike rate of 124.84. Wahab Riaz is the top wicket-taker, with 113 wickets in 88 games at an average of 22.68.
