PCB signs three-year broadcast deal for national, domestic matches

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday signed a satellite broadcast deal for broadcast rights with PTV Sports for three years.

The agreements were signed in the presence of the Prime Minister who is the PCB’s patron. The broadcasting arrangement is structured to provide for increasing revenues over the term of the cycle and PCB expects to earn in excess of US$200 million from 2020-23.

PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani speaking at the occasion thanked the parton for his unwavering support to PCB and the efforts of Minister for Information Shibli Faraz and SAPM on Information Lt. General (Retd) Asim Bajwa for finalising the broadcasting arrangement and modernising PTV Sports and its production capabilities as well as the digitalising cable networks.

The broadcast agreement is for Pakistan only, while PCB will soon finalise granting broadcast rights for international territories separately as well as launching a new structure for its digital media rights.

Under the arrangement, all Pakistan’s home series of the cricket team and the Women’s and Junior cricket teams will be broadcast live on PTV Sports.

For the first time all the major domestic tournaments, including the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, National T-20 Cup, One Day Pakistan Cup and the National U-19 One-Day and National U-19 tournaments, will be broadcast live on PTV Sports and distributed across Pakistan on cable networks.

The matches will be produced by PCB directly to the highest international standards and will not be bulked as part of the broadcasting deal as was done in the past. PCB will ensure broadcast and distribution of Pakistan cricket across the globe.

For the first time in almost three decades, the broadcasting rights for ricket in Pakistan have been granted exclusively to a Pakistani broadcaster and that too the national broadcaster.

The broadcast deal also marks the launch of rebuilding PTV’s production and broadcast capabilities, with a conversion of PTV Sports to HD broadcast format already in the pipeline to be followed by acquisition of not only international quality production equipment but also training of its staff during the production by PCB of cricket matches in Pakistan.