England’s Test tour of Pakistan in October may face a TV blackout, as no UK broadcasters have bid for the rights to the three-match series. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s recent tender document has not attracted any interest from the UK, with broadcasters not engaging in negotiations so far, reports The Guardian (writes Matt Hughes).
Sky Sports, which has exclusive rights for all home Test matches, broadcast England’s last Test series in Pakistan in December 2022. During that tour, England made history with a 3-0 series win, but this achievement has not generated interest in the upcoming series.
Sky has indicated to the PCB that it does not plan to bid for the rights to England’s Test tour of Pakistan, while TNT Sport has also declined to participate in negotiations and has no intention of doing so.
The PCB has engaged a local marketing agency to sell the overseas rights to the series, rather than a global firm like IMG or Pitch International. Channel 4 acquired the rights for England’s 2021 Test tour to India during the third Covid lockdown, but has not bid for Test cricket since.
Sky, which broadcast England’s away Test series for nearly 30 years, now focuses on exclusive rights for England’s home series and major events like the World Cup and T20 World Cup. The cost of acquiring overseas rights and maintaining high production values no longer justifies the limited subscriber increase, especially with its focus on live football.
TNT Sport has secured rights for Test series in other countries but has shown no interest in the Pakistan tour. The broadcaster has recently reduced its commitments, including stepping away from rugby rights negotiations, now taken up by Premier Sports.
This lack of broadcaster interest is disappointing for cricket fans, as shown by the low attendance at England’s series against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford.
