Asia Cup 2025 in danger as broadcaster's huge demand takes ugly turn

The Asia Cup 2025 is just a few weeks away, but things are not looking good for the tournament. The blockbuster match of the Asia Cup 2025, India vs Pakistan, scheduled for September 14 in Dubai, is now under serious doubt. A major fight over TV rights has put the entire tournament at risk.

The official broadcaster, Sony Pictures Private Limited, demanded a much higher amount from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for showing the matches in Pakistan. Sony had signed a massive $170 million deal to broadcast matches across Asia until 2031.

Asia Cup 2025 is in danger due to the official broadcaster

As per a report by The Dawn, the official broadcaster of the Asia Cup has asked for a much higher fee from Pakistan this time. Sony Pictures Private Limited is now demanding that Pakistani broadcasters pay 25% of the total cost, which is a huge jump from the usual 10-12% Pakistan has paid in previous tournaments.

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According to ICC and ACC guidelines, Pakistan’s region is usually assigned 10–12% of the broadcasting share. However, the Indian broadcaster has smartly increased the pressure by demanding a much higher rate from Pakistan.

The sudden increase has caught everyone by surprise and created serious concerns for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. They may either have to come together as a group to pay the high fee or drop out of the race completely, putting the future cricket tournaments in the region at risk.

Sony’s sky-high fee puts the Asia Cup 2025 in trouble

If no channel from Pakistan buys the rights, there is a chance that the India vs Pakistan match may not be shown in Pakistan or might not happen at all due to growing pressure and financial issues.

One of the officials close to the situation told Dawn on the condition of anonymity, “It ultimately may force all Pakistan-based channels either to make a joint consortium to buy the rights or to quit the race altogether. They [Indian broadcasters] are overleveraged and gambling with market stability. If this backfires, the repercussions could destabilize the entire ecosystem.”

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No India-Pakistan match at the LA Olympics 2028

Meanwhile, India will not face Pakistan at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has introduced a new rule that makes this big match-up almost impossible. For the 2028 Olympics, the ICC has decided that only the top-ranked men’s team from each continent—Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania—will get a direct entry.

The USA, as the host country, will get the fifth spot. This means only one team from Asia can qualify, and that is either India or Pakistan. Given this new system, the chances of India vs. Pakistan in the Olympics are very low.

The ICC said that this rule is meant to give teams from all continents a fair chance and to support the Olympic Committee’s goal of making the event more global.