Pakistan Cricket Board suffered USD 90 million loss due to frozen bilateral ties with India

Since Pakistan and India have not played a match from 2008, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suffered a revenue loss to the tune of USD 90 million in its last media rights deal.

India only play against Pakistan only in ICC tournaments due to the diplomatic tension between the two nations. 

According to a reliable source, PCB’s last five-year deal, which expired this month, included two home series against India, Hindustan Times. 

The broadcasters who signed the contract worth 149 million dollars had a condition that the series would be held against India.

“Unfortunately since Pakistan was unable to play the two home series against India as included in the agreement, Ten Sports and PTV the two broadcasters who had taken the rights deducted 90 million dollars of the total sum as per the agreement,” the source said.

The PCB is also said to have faced financial disagreements with its last broadcaster over unscheduled home series against West Indies. 

The source added that the PCB has started exploring the market to get good money for its international home media rights deal either short or long term.

“The problem is that right now due to the Coronavirus pandemic the situation in the market is bad. In fact, the situation for cricket broadcast rights has been poor since last December,” he said. 

PCB Chairman, Ehsan Mani in a podcast had said that although the board had suffered losses because of the absence of series against India it can live without playing them.