Pay-television broadcaster beIN has agreed a one-season deal to broadcast cricket’s Pakistan Super League in Australia and across various Asia countries and territories.
BeIN’s Australian deal includes live rights to all 34 matches from the 2020 PSL as well as a daily highlights programme.
Daily highlights rights have been acquired across nine Asian territories: Cambodia, East Timor, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Both deals were agreed with the PSL’s global media rights-holder Global Sports Commerce. GSL is in the second year of a three-year deal which is due to expire at the end of the 2021 season.
BeIN’s coverage will begin on February 20 and run until the season’s end on March 20.
Meanwhile, the Discovery-owned DSport has once again secured the rights in India.
Vijay Rajput, Discovery South Asia senior vice-president, affiliate sales and head of sports business, said: “The presence of international stars will ensure each and every match will offer high quality contest – a core proposition to engage cricket aficionados in the country. We are working towards aggregating marquee properties across variety of sports with an aim to engage passionate fan communities.”
Control of DSport remains the subject of a legal row between Discovery and its former partner on the channel, Lex Sportel Vision. The Indian media company has started legal proceedings claiming ownership over DSport. For now, Discovery controls the DSport-branded channel in India, and Lex Sportel Vision has launched another channel, branded 1Sports, carrying content that it owns and which was formerly on DSport.
SNTV, a joint venture between The Associated Press and the IMG agency, last week finalised a news access agreement for the league.
This year’s PSL is the first edition of the Twenty20-format tournament to be played entirely in Pakistan.
Matches will be produced by Tower Sports and SportzWorkz after the Pakistani and Singaporean businesses were successful in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s production tender process. The pair will replace the Blitz and Trans Group consortium which produced the last PSL season after IMG-Reliance pulled out of an agreement after a terrorist attack in the Indian region of Kashmir.