The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a revised schedule for the home Test series against England. The first match is set to begin on October 7 in Multan. However, with only two weeks left, the PCB is facing difficulties in securing international media rights, which could result in financial losses and prevent British fans from watching the matches.
Media Rights Issues
The PCB had originally set a reserve price of $21 million for a three-year international media rights deal. Unfortunately, none of the bids met this figure. The highest offer came from Sports Five, which bid $7.8 million. A joint bid from two Pakistani companies was $4.1 million, while Willow TV offered $2.25 million. All of these bids were rejected as they fell short of the reserve price.
Re-tendering Process
In an effort to resolve the issue, the PCB re-tendered the media rights for the home series against New Zealand and the women’s series against the West Indies. This time, a joint bid from two Pakistani companies for $99,000 won the contract.
Despite the involvement of former ICC official Campbell Jamieson in the process, the PCB has not been able to secure better deals. Attempts to sell media rights for the 2024-26 period also failed, with bids coming in 50% lower than previous offers.
Sky Sports’ Lack of Interest
Sky Sports, the traditional broadcaster of Pakistan cricket in the UK, has shown no interest in purchasing the rights for this series. As time runs out, the PCB may be forced to sell the rights at a lower price to avoid a blackout in the UK.
Pakistan Unveils Updated Schedule for England Test Series
Financial Concerns
This situation poses a significant financial risk for the PCB and raises concerns about future management of media rights deals. If not resolved, the series could suffer from low viewership and financial setbacks for the board.
