PTV Wins Pakistan's Home Cricket Rights for Rs 350 Million
PTV was the only bidder for 25 Pakistan home matches and paid Rs 350 million, against a Rs 600 million reserve. See which series it covers and where to watch.
PTV, the state broadcaster, has bought the television rights to Pakistan's next 25 home internationals for Rs 350 million. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had asked for Rs 600 million. PTV was the only bidder, so the board sold for Rs 250 million less than its reserve price.
The deal was reported on 3 October 2026 and covers every home match from the Sri Lanka T20Is this week to the New Zealand Tests in February and March 2027. If you plan to watch Pakistan at home this season, this decides which channel you tune to.
PTV won the home rights as the only bidder
The PCB sold the broadcast rights for 25 home matches to Pakistan Television Corporation for Rs 350 million. Reports say no other broadcaster bid. That left the board with one offer, and it took it.
The reserve price is the lowest sum a seller will accept. The PCB set Rs 600 million. Rs 350 million is about 58 per cent of that figure, which means the board accepted a shortfall of Rs 250 million.
Reports also say that other large broadcasters, which still have payments outstanding to the board, chose not to bid. We could not confirm that from the PCB itself. Its website was behind a bot check when we tried it on 8 October, so everything here is reported.
The 25 matches run from October 2026 to March 2027
The package has five Tests, 14 one-day internationals (ODIs) and six T20 internationals. They come from four home series, starting with Sri Lanka this week and ending with New Zealand in the Test season of early 2027.
| Month | Series | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | Sri Lanka T20Is, then ODI tri-series with England and Sri Lanka | 3 T20Is and 7 ODIs |
| November 2026 | Sri Lanka Tests | 2 Tests |
| January 2027 | Ireland T20Is, then ODI tri-series with Zimbabwe | 3 T20Is and 7 ODIs |
| February 2027 | Ireland, one Test | 1 Test |
| February and March 2027 | New Zealand Tests | 2 Tests |
Add those up and you get the same 25. The October fixtures are the ones that matter today. The ODI tri-series starts on 18 October, and the T20Is begin on 9 October in Rawalpindi.
The Rs 250 million gap is a sign of weak demand
A reserve price missed by that margin tells you the market is not paying what the board hoped. Reports tie it to the national team's recent results and to thin public interest in some home series.
Money matters to a fan for a simple reason. Rights income is one of the ways the board pays for ground upkeep and domestic cricket. A lower fee means less to spend. We cannot say how the PCB will cover the gap, and it has not said.
The board also did not allow bidders to join as a group this time, according to reports. In earlier rounds, two companies could pool an offer. That rule change may have cut the number of bids. It is a reported detail, not something we could check.
What the deal means for where you watch
Home matches in this package should be shown on PTV. The PCB has not told fans which channel or app carries each match, and it has not published a streaming partner for these 25 games. Check the channel list before match day.
Our earlier note on how to watch the Sri Lanka T20Is live said that nothing from the PCB named PTV Sports for these matches. This deal is the first report that puts the state broadcaster on the whole home season. It is still a report, not a PCB notice.
- Look at the PCB's own match page on the morning of the game for the broadcaster line.
- Find PTV Sports on your cable, dish or set-top box. Channel numbers differ by operator.
- Ask your cable operator if PTV Sports is in your package, and request it if it is not.
- Check the PTV app or website for a live stream, but do not pay a reseller for a link.
- If the match is not on PTV, expect a notice from the PCB and the channel itself.
The rights deal covers broadcasting in Pakistan, according to the report. Fans abroad should not assume the same channel works for them. We did not find international rights in the reports.
What nobody has confirmed yet
Four things are open. The PCB has not published its own statement on the sale. It has not said how many cameras or what production standard PTV must meet. It has not named a digital partner. And it has not said whether PTV may sub-license the matches.
The sale price and the reserve price come from a single report dated 3 October. Both figures sound consistent with each other, and the match count adds up to 25. Still, until the PCB releases a note, treat the numbers as reported.
One more caution. A rights deal does not change a match time, a ticket price or a venue. Those stay with the schedule. The October and November schedule remains the page to follow for dates.
Common questions about the PTV cricket rights deal
Who bought the rights to Pakistan's home matches?
PTV, the state broadcaster, bought them for Rs 350 million, according to reports on 3 October 2026. It was the only bidder.
How many matches does the deal cover?
It covers 25 home internationals: five Tests, 14 ODIs and six T20Is, from October 2026 to March 2027.
What was the PCB's reserve price?
Rs 600 million, according to the same reports. The final price was Rs 250 million below that.
Will every Pakistan home match be on PTV Sports?
That is the likely outcome of the deal, but the PCB has not confirmed a channel for each match. Check the board's match page before the game.
Does the deal include the PSL?
No. The reports describe only international home matches. The PSL has its own rights and its own dates, which we cover in the PSL 12 window piece.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 8 October 2026. The sale to PTV, the Rs 350 million price, the Rs 600 million reserve price, the 25 matches and the list of series are reported by the press and are not yet confirmed by the Pakistan Cricket Board. We tried to open the board's website at pcb.com.pk on 8 October 2026 and it showed a security check instead of its news page, so we could not read any statement from the board. Match dates for the October and November fixtures match the schedule the board announced on 19 August 2026. Check pcb.com.pk for any broadcast notice before you rely on a channel on match day.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
