Ten Sports pick up Pakistan’s cricket rights

Pay-television broadcaster Ten Sports, which operates in the Indian subcontinent, has acquired rights for Pakistan’s 2014 cricket series against the Australia and New Zealand national teams.

The rights are worth $5.4m (€4.2m), according to the Television Post newspaper.

Ten Sports acquired the rights in a deal with the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Ten Sports originally tabled a bid of $2.9m for the two series, but latent competition from the Sporty Solutionz agency and the Nimbus Communications telecommunications company, which submitted offers of $4.8m and $5.1m, forced a higher bid from Ten Sports.

Pakistan plays Australia in a Twenty20 International, three one-day internationals and two Test matches from October 5 to November 3, while New Zealand contests three Tests, two T20s and five ODIs between November 11 and December 19. Both series take place in the United Arab Emirates.