PCB struggles to sell international media rights for PAK vs ENG series, set to suffer big financial blow

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing yet another big issue ahead of the three-match Test series between Pakistan and England. The PCB was facing issues with the scheduling and recently announced a revised schedule.

The cricket board is now facing another hurdle. With less than a fortnight remaining for the series to begin, the board is yet to sell international media rights, according to reports. If the Pakistan Cricket Board fails to secure the deal, it could result in a significant financial loss. The failure to sell the international media rights will also prevent fans outside Pakistan from watching the Test series.

Cricket Pakistan has reported that the Pakistan Cricket Board had initially set an ambitious reserve price of approximately $21 million for a three-year international media rights deal. However, it could not attract a single bid that was close to the figure.

The highest bid was received from foreign company Sports Five. They had submitted a bid of $7.8 million. The Pakistan Cricket Board also received a joint bid from two Pakistani companies which was around $4.1 million, while Willow TV offered $2.25 million. However, the PCB rejected all the bids as they were well short of the reserve price.

PCB struggles to sell media rights:

After failing to sell the rights, the board also conducted a re-tendering process solely for the home series against New Zealand and the women’s series against the West Indies. For that, the two Pakistani companies secured the rights for just $99,000.

Pakistan Cricket Board also involved former ICC official Campbell Jamieson in the bidding process but it did not help its cause. Later, it also tried to sell international media rights for the 2024-26 period but failed. It received offers that were 50% lower than the previously rejected bids.

With time running out, the Pakistan Cricket Board could find itself in a situation where it is forced to sell the rights at a significantly lower price. In case, it decides against selling the rights for a lower price, it won't be able to show the series outside Pakistan. Such a situation would not only affect the viewership of the series but would also be a financial blow for the board.