LAHORE: This year’s Asia Cup which among other nations will feature defending champions India and Pakistan, the two major cricketing giants of the continent, is facing a fresh challenge — this time from the broadcaster, Dawn has learnt.

A highly exorbitant rate set for Pakistan’s region by official broadcaster of the Asia Cup based in India plus the uncertainty prevailing over the pinnacle clash of the event between Pakistan and India, the chances are bleak that any sports channel in Pakistan could buy the broadcasting rights for the continental showpiece.

The Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from Sept 9 to 28 at its new venue — the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — where it was shifted from original hosts India, due to Pakistan-India political tensions and also due to stra-ins between India and Bangladesh.

According to well-informed sources, Asia Cup’s official broadcaster has set significantly higher rate for Pakistan’s region. It is learnt that the broadcaster, having secured Pan-Asia broadcast rights in a $170 million deal valid until 2031, is now demanding that Pakistan broadcasters pay a staggering 25% of the total broadcasting rights value whereas the country has been contributing no more than 10% of the event’s regional broadcast worth.

“A 10 to 12 per cent value rate for Pakistan’s region is decided in the books of the ICC and the ACC but the Indian broadcaster is demanding a very high rate from Pakistan’s sports channels that are interested in covering live matches.

“It ultimately may force all Pakistan-based channels, either to make a joint consortium to buy the rights or to quit the race altogether,” one of the officials closed to the situation told Dawn on the condition of anonymity.

“They [Indian broadcasters] are over-leveraged and gambling with market stability. If this backfires, the repercussions could destabilise the entire ecosystem,” the official added.

He continued: “The consortium [of Pakistan sports channels] may agree to pay higher rate but there is no clarity if an Indo-Pak match will be played [during the Asia Cup].”

With television advertising revenue in Pakistan down more than 22% year-on-year, and corporate sponsorship budgets in freefall, these inflated demands from the (Asia Cup) broadcaster appear not only unrealistic, but dangerously detached from commercial reality, sources are claiming.

Another point of worry for Pakistan sports channels has also increased to manifold as the Indian broadcasters had sold out the Asia Cup digital rights to a Pakistan-based consortium for approximately $4.3 million.

In case India and Pakistan reach the Asia Cup final, they will have played three matches against each other in the event — a big deal for broadcasters.

“[The] Indian cricketers are facing pressure from their fans at home creating a situation which may compel India’s top players to refuse to play the Asia Cup or even the BCCI to quit as hosts,” the source added.

“In such a negative situation prevailing [currently] while time is running short to meet the Indian broadcasters’ demand, it does not seem possible for a single sports channel in Pakistan to strike the [broadcasting] deal on these [higher] rates.

“While the negotiations are on with the Asia Cup’s official broadcaster, it is not ready to demand less from Pakistan’s region even in case there is no Pakistan-India clash in the continental event,” the source revealed.

In the past, when a Pakistan-India bilateral series was part of ICC’s decided schedule of activities the PCB had to sign a deal with broadcasters for the entire calendar for two different likely scenarios — first if India-Pakistan play in a bilateral series and second if they do not face each other.

Also a Pakistan Television (PTV) official, on the condition of anonymity, told Dawn that uncertainty was prevailing for Pakistan over the Asia Cup broadcasting rights.

“In negotiations with the official broadcasters, we are trying to resolve the matter to ensure Pakistan fans watch live matches of the Asia Cup. However, the situation is tricky and no one can say what will happen in the end,” the PTV official said.

PAKISTAN TEAM’S FEEBLE SHOW

Moreover, another source said that Pakistan’s sports channels are also concerned about the national team’s below-par performance in international events during the past two years.

“The factor of Pakistan team’s poor performance is also having impact on the market rate of TV commercials,” the source said.

“When your team look strong contenders, the enthusiasm of fans is always high that also attracts commercial market to invest. But ironically this is not the situation [currently] and Pakistan are facing one defeat after the other; they could not excel even in the [2025] Champions Trophy as hosts.”

Pakistan’s 2-1 T20 series loss in Bangladesh last month has further dented the team’s market price that could be further damaged if the Green-shirts lose the T20 series in West Indies, starting on Friday (in Pakistan wee hours).

“In the home leg [June 2025], most local broadcasters participated and saw modest returns. But come July, for the away matches in Bangladesh, only PTV Sports [channel] stepped in to secure exclusive rights. It proved to be a pyrrhic victory — revenues nosedived by nearly 50%, and with Pakistan losing the series, fan engagement cratered,” another official of a sports TV channel told Dawn on the condition of anonymity.

“Despite these warning signs, PTV has doubled down. In a bold — and some say baffling — move, the state broadcaster has tabled a hefty bid for non-exclusive rights to the upcoming Pakistan vs West Indies series in August. The series is scheduled for early mornings, traditionally a commercial dead zone. A couple of other major TV channels have quietly exited the race, citing poor return on investment,” he further said.

Other sources watching the situation closely said that there were still chances that the BCCI will bow to pressure of the hostile Indian public – which campaigned even against the online participation of its officials in the Asian Cricket Council’s annual general meeting held in Bangladesh on July 24.

Due to that campaign, the Indian team also refused to play the semi-final against Pakistan at the World Championship of Legends in Birmingham on Wednesday.

The same pressure from Indian public may force the BCCI to leave the Asia Cup hosting rights and ask the ACC to give the event to any other member, and also withdraw their team from the event.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is also the incumbent head of the ACC. Though Mohsin is getting the credit of holding successfully the recent ACC meeting in Dhaka, he may now face a significant challenge of holding the Asia Cup successfully.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2025