Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is on the verge of striking the most expensive media rights deal in its history, with a PSL franchise reportedly planning to offer Rs4.5 billion per year for broadcast rights. If finalized, the four-year agreement could total Rs18 billion, sources said.
According to insiders, PCB had earlier invited tenders for four-year PSL media rights, attracting multiple parties, including two major sports channels. However, both channels were disqualified over pending dues one reportedly owed Rs470 million, while the other had to pay over Rs60 million.
Sources revealed that a PSL franchise interested in acquiring media rights is likely to make a record-breaking bid. Live streaming rights could fetch up to Rs7 billion, potentially making it Pakistan cricket’s biggest-ever deal. The PCB has barred consortium bids this time to prevent collusion among channels, and the winning bidder may potentially use state TV screens for broadcasts.
The tender allowed companies to bid for broadcast, live streaming, or both. Security deposits for bids were Rs10 crore each, and the winner’s payment will be adjusted against the deposit, while the remaining bids will be returned. Reserve prices have not been officially announced, but estimates place the total value at around Rs18 billion, with live streaming expected to have a reserve of up to Rs6 billion.
With the addition of two new teams this season, the PSL will feature 44 matches, up from 34 last year. Ten extra matches per year over four years could effectively make this deal the equivalent of a five-year agreement in value terms.
Under PCB rules, after production costs, any broadcast deal exceeding Rs3 billion will allocate $500,000 for foreign player contracts, with 80 percent of the remaining revenue going to PCB and 20 percent to the franchise. Last year, production costs exceeded Rs1 billion. The 11th edition of PSL is scheduled to begin on March 26.
