PCB expecting around USD 2mn income beside sale of TV rights

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board is expecting an estimated income of USD 1.8 to 2 million from the sale of title sponsorship and ground rights for its home series against Sri Lanka and England that it has been forced to play away in the United Arab Emirates.

"The expected income from the sale of title sponsorship and ground rights for the series against England is around one to 1.1 million dollars while another 800 to 900,000 dollars were generated from the series against Sri Lanka last year," one reliable source told PTI. He said the income from the sale of title sponsorship and ground rights was apart from the income the board would generate from sale of television rights. "The television rights income is guaranteed due to the long term contract with Ten Sports which runs into 2014," one source said. "But the board bids away title and ground rights for each series. This time it sold the Sri Lanka and England series as a package deal," the source said. He explained that while the PCB wanted to sell its title and ground rights as a package deal on long term basis it was unable to do this in recent times because of issues involving India. "They were series with India chalked up which didn`t materialize and obviously since a series against India guarantees much more earnings than other series that is why the board`s marketing department didn`t go for long term deals," he said. He pointed out that the PCB had signed a two year deal with Nimbus sports from 2006 to 2008 for ground rights but that was because at that time bilateral cricket ties with India were on. The source admitted that the PCB had to face loss of some revenues after being forced to play its home series at neutral venues. "The Emirates cricket and government authorities cooperate a lot with us but still obviously you can’t find the same market for Pakistan cricket series that you would find in Pakistan itself especially when it comes to sale of title and ground rights," the source said. He pointed out that since UAE meant lesser expenses for the PCB when it came to hotelling, traveling and ground charges compared to if the PCB had its "home" series at other neutral venues that is why the board was still making some money out of its series. Since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March, 2009 foreign teams have refused to play in Pakistan which has been forced to play at neutral venues mainly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. PTI