Massive jolt to Pakistan Cricket Board ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025; media rights become bone of contention

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has once again faced setbacks in securing international media rights, as the bids did not meet its expectations. The PCB recently announced tenders for all global territories for broadcast television, digital, audio, web, and mobile platforms from August 2024 to December 2026.

The Pakistan cricket team's home series will start with the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, beginning on August 21. Pakistan will also host England for a Test series in October. Australia, South Africa, and the West Indies are scheduled to tour Pakistan as per the team's Future Tour Programs (FTP) schedule.

During the 2024-2026 period, the Pakistan cricket team will play 61 matches across formats. The Men in Green will play 11 Test matches, 26 ODIs, and 24 T20Is. The PCB took the services of former International Cricket Council (ICC) official Campbell Jamieson to assist in the sale of international television rights.

The Pakistan Cricket Board's expectations were not met in selling international media rights. The latest bid was only half of the value of the previously canceled bid. The cricket board set a high price of around $21 million for three years of international media rights, but no bids matched PCB’s expectations.

Pakistani Company Submits Highest Bid of $7.85 Million For International Media Rights

A consortium of a Pakistani media group and a private company, along with foreign bidders Willow and Sports Five, participated in the auction. Among them, Sports Five submitted the highest bid at $7.8 million.

The Pakistani company bid around $4.1 million, and Willow bid $2.25 million. As the reserve price was not reached, the board suggested increasing the price to the bidders, leading to a new round of bidding.

In the second round, Sports Five kept their bid at $7.8 million, while the Pakistani company increased their bid to $7.85 million. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board rejected both offers as they still did not meet the reserve price.

A new tender was issued for the home series against New Zealand and the women's series against the West Indies. In this round, Pakistani companies together bid $99,000 (around 27.6 million Pakistani rupees), Willow bid $75,000, and Sports Five bid $50,000.

Pakistan Cricket Board Receives 50% Lower Than Rejected Bid

The Pakistan Cricket Board's hopes were dashed once more in selling international media rights, with the latest bid being only half of the previous one. The board received the highest bid from a Pakistani media group and a private company at just $3.5 to $4 million, despite the involvement of a former ICC official.

The PCB received an offer that was 50% lower than the previous rejected bid. So, the process will be canceled again, and alternative options will be explored.

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