The Nimbus Communications agency is interested in acquiring the rights for a proposed new Twenty20 cricket league operated by the Pakistan Cricket Board, according to the national governing body’s chairman, Zaka Ashraf.
“Nimbus made a presentation regarding the league earlier this month,” he told the PTI news agency. “There are a few other [broadcasting] companies in the picture as well.”
Asian pay-television broadcaster Ten Sports is also reportedly interested in rights for the proposed league, which would resemble the format of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament and could be launched later this year. In January, Ten Sports acquired rights in Pakistan for a package of International Cricket Council events in a four-year sublicensing deal, from 2012 to 2015, with Pakistani state broadcaster PTV.
The board said that it was focused on agreeing a partnership with a broadcaster that would ensure the league’s business model was financially viable, but would also provide the competition with an international platform.
Ashraf said that the new name of the league has not been decided yet and added that the competition would not be an “exact copy” of the Indian Premier League.