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LAHORE: Pakistan Television (PTV) has secured the media rights for the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) events for 2025-27 for an estimated $13.5 million, sources told Dawn on Tuesday. The previous two-year deal (2023-25) had been valued at $11.7 million.
Over the next two years, the ICC’s calendar includes eight tournaments — five for men and three for women. Among the marquee events are the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, the 2027 World Test Championship final in England, and the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
The other men’s events are junior-level competitions, including the 2026 U-19 World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia, and the 2028 U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup (venue to be confirmed).
The women’s tournaments include the 2026 T20 World Cup in England, the 2027 T20 Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, and the T20 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh and Nepal.
Well-placed sources said the ICC had initially set the price for Pakistan at around $29 million for both television and digital rights. After negotiations, the final deal was reportedly concluded at $21 million, of which approximately $13.5 million went to PTV, with the remaining amount allocated to digital platforms.
Sources noted that PTV had acquired the ICC’s media rights last year for $11.7 million and will face challenges in maximising revenue under the current downturn in the media industry.
The situation has been further complicated after the ICC’s India-based official broadcaster opted out of the 2025-27 cycle, reportedly due to losses over the previous two years (2023-25).
“It is a testing time for the ICC to get a new broadcaster, with the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka scheduled for February 2026,” said a source. “Negotiations in December could be limited due to the Christmas holidays.”
Industry insiders cautioned that the losses faced by the Indian partner could signal challenges for PTV as well, particularly amid Pakistan’s struggling sports broadcasting economy.
Estimates indicate a 32 per cent contraction in 2025, driven by declining advertising revenues and unprofitable sports-rights investments.
Sources added that the second-highest bid for the ICC media rights fell far short of PTV’s offer. It is noteworthy that PTV was unable to acquire the media rights for Pakistan’s home series against South Africa earlier this year.
Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2025
