THE PAKISTAN CRICKET BOARD AND THE Pakistan Television Sports administration have resolved their dispute over broadcasting rights in Pakistan with PTV Sports withdrawing its legal cases against the PCB and preferring an out-of-court settlement.
The truce was reportedly mediated by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s office.
Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, quoting sources, reported that a virtual meeting between the PCB chairman Ramiz Raja and the PTV administration was held on Tuesday, where it was decided that PTV will have the rights to broadcast Pakistan’s international matches within the country till 2023.
However, the percentage from the revenue of PTV Sports through those matches has been changed in favour of the PCB. Now, the PCB will receive 72% of the revenue, while PTV’s share is down from 42.5% previously to 28%. The out-of-country broadcasting rights of international matches are still with the PCB.
PCB and PTV Sports had signed a three-year satellite broadcast deal and a separate agreement to secure cable distribution with I-Media Communication Services in September last year with both parties — the PCB was under the chairman of Ehsan Mani at that time — signing the agreement at the Prime Minister’s House in the presence of Khan.
It was forecast that PCB would earn in excess of $200 million during the three-year period through cable operators but the PCB was unable to earn a single penny from it during the last year as the cable operators’ association was not on board and was not ready to pay for the telecast (seriously?).
With the PCB not getting any income through the deal with PTV Sports, the deal was suspended only for PTV Sports to file a petition against the PCB decision.
The new deal does not include the HBL Pakistan Super League as it is not an international but a domestic event of the PCB, Dawn further reports.
