Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Sells HBL Pakistan Super League Global Media Rights For Whopping PKR 1.26 Billion

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had previously been concerned that selling the media rights for the HBL PSL (Pakistan Super League) separately would not generate a substantial amount of money.

However, the government allowed the management committee to sell only the rights of PSL while restricting daily operations, which led to six companies competing in the bidding process.

The winning company secured broadcast and live-streaming rights for the ninth and tenth editions of the league beyond Pakistan. The participating companies included ARY Communications/Myco, IMC, SuperSport, Willow TV, and Flow Sports.

The two-year rights were acquired for $450,000 (about Rs. 1.26 billion), with the first year costing $225,000 (roughly Rs.63 crore). According to PCB, the value of HBL PSL Global Media Rights increased by 41% over the previous year.

This time, the media rights for just the ninth and tenth editions of the league were sold, whereas previously the Pakistan team and HBL PSL matches were included in the worldwide media rights. The event will commence on February 17 in Lahore, with the Lahore Qalandars serving as reigning champions.

Earlier, The bidding for the PSL’s broadcast and media rights has been pushed back two weeks to the beginning of January, meaning that the league’s ninth season will only have a television deal a month before it begins. Although proposals will be submitted to the PCB, the winner must be approved by the government’s ministry of inter-provincial cooperation.

The 2023 Pakistan Super League season was a huge success, with Lahore Qalandars winning the final by a single run over Multan Sultans. Shaheen Afridi captained Lahore Qalandars to consecutive PSL titles, making them the first team to accomplish so.

Pakistan Super League teams will assemble on February 12, with practice sessions lasting until the 16th of February, and matches will begin the following day. There will be 34 matches contested in Pakistan, with Karachi hosting 11 games, Lahore and Rawalpindi hosting nine each, and Multan contributing five games to the calendar.

The Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, and Multan Sultans will each play five home games this season. Peshawar Zalmi will play four matches in both Lahore and Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, the Quetta Gladiators will play three games across three cities: Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi.