ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Wednesday that the media rights for the upcoming 2024 and 2025 editions of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) saw a “massive increase” when their bidding took place this week.
The PSL is Pakistan’s premium men’s T20 cricket franchise founded by the PCB in 2015. A mix of local and foreign players take part in every edition of the league, which features six teams, each named after a Pakistani city.
Over the years, the PSL has grown to become arguably Pakistan’s most popular sports brand and is compared with other international cricket leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Big Bash League (BBL).
The ninth edition of the PSL is set to kick off in February and will last till March 2024.
“HBL Pakistan Super League had yet another historic day on Tuesday, when its live-streaming and broadcast rights saw an increase of 113 and 45 percent for the 2024 and 2025 editions, respectively,” the PCB said in a statement.
The board said ARY Communications (Pvt) Limited submitted the highest bid, in response to a public tender process, to broadcast the 2024 and 2025 editions of the league in Pakistan.
It saw a “whopping increase” of 45 percent from the value for the last two years, the board added.
Bids were also received from the Independent Media Corporation Pvt. Ltd, the Pakistan Television Corporation Limited (PTVC) and Tower Sports (Ten Sports) to broadcast the PSL.
Pakistani influencer marketing platform Walee Technologies, meanwhile, won the highest bid to live-stream PSL 2024 and 2025 in Pakistan, which saw a huge increase of 113 percent from the value for the last two years, the PCB disclosed.
Other bids for live-streaming the league were received from the Consortium of ARY Communications (ARY, Myco, Daraz and Tamasha), TransGroup FZE, Independent Media Corporation Pvt. Ltd. (IMC) and Tower Sports (Ten Sports).
“HBL PSL is a huge brand and it has a massive fan following,” Zaka Ashraf, chairman of the PCB’s managing committee, said in a statement.
“It is an unprecedented moment as the prices for both of these rights are unmatched. This is a testament to the growth of the HBL PSL brand and we are all waiting for HBL PSL 9 to begin now.”
PCB announces ‘massive increase’ in premium cricket league’s media rights for 2024, 2025
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PCB announces ‘massive increase’ in premium cricket league’s media rights for 2024, 2025
- Pakistan Super League’s live-streaming, broadcast rights see increase of 113 and 45 percent respectively
- ARY Communications, Walee Technologies win rights to broadcast and live-stream league respectively
Pakistan backs Yemen unity, supports Riyadh talks amid regional tensions
- Pakistan urges Yemeni stakeholders to work ‘in good faith’ toward a negotiated political solution
- Ishaq Dar discusses regional situation with the Saudi and Emirati foreign ministers from Beijing
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday welcomed a call by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council for political dialogue in Riyadh among all factions on the ground, reaffirming its support for Yemen’s unity following a “limited” airstrike by a Saudi-led coalition targeting weapons shipments from the United Arab Emirates to the port city of Mukalla in southern Yemen.
The coalition forces spokesperson said the weapons were meant to support the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces, backed by the UAE, in Yemen’s Hadramaut and Al-Mahra “with the aim of fueling the conflict.”
Rashad Al-Alimi, President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, requested the Saudi authorities hold a conference bringing together all factions in southern Yemen, prompting the Kingdom to invite them “to develop a comprehensive vision” for the future.
“Pakistan welcomes the call by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council to hold comprehensive talks in Riyadh and once again urges all Yemeni stakeholders to engage in good faith toward a negotiated political solution based on agreed parameters,” the foreign office said in a statement.
“Pakistan reaffirms its steadfast support for the unity and territorial integrity of Yemen,” it added.
The diplomatic messaging was reinforced by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who spoke separately by phone from Beijing with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The foreign office said Dar welcomed the Saudi foreign ministry’s recent statement on Yemen and expressed appreciation for efforts by all sides to resolve the regional situation amicably, while also noting that dialogue and diplomacy had produced “tangible outcomes on the ground.”
Dar arrived in Beijing earlier in the day, where he is due to co-chair the 7th Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with Wang Yi on Sunday. He will also attend events marking the start of the 75th year of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations, with commemorative initiatives planned throughout 2026.
