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$100m: Pakistan media rights
14/05/2008 21:17 - (SA)
London - Former ICC President Ehsan Mani
has agreed to advise the Pakistan Cricket Board in their sale of
media rights, which he said on Wednesday should earn the board
at least $100 million.
The PCB announced on Wednesday that the rights, to broadcast
their home international matches over a five-year period from
2008-09, would be open to tender from July and the deal should
be concluded by September.
If Mani's forecast is accurate, the PCB could witness more
than a 100% jump from the current deal with Ten Sports
and ARY, who paid $43m in 2003 - which was also more
than a 100% rise from the previous agreement.
"I would be disappointed if they sold for any less than $100m," Mani, an expert in the media rights sector, told
Reuters.
"The last deal was the best around but it was still a bad
one because India were not touring Pakistan at that time and
that was a big issue.
"That is no longer the case so hopefully it will make a big
difference. I haven't seen the whole tour programme yet but
there has been a significant convergence of rights as people now
watch cricket in so many different ways, whether it is on
television, on the internet or on their mobile phone."
Mani, who was the ICC president from 2003-2006, led the
negotiations for the ICC's media rights deals in 2000, when they
sold for a then unprecedented $550m, and in 2007, when he
said they went for "over $1bn".
The London-based Pakistani expatriate said he is not
receiving any payment for his role with the PCB.
"I am happy to help any cricket board," he said. "I have
helped Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies - it's nice to be
able to give something back to the game."
India's rights were sold in 2006 for $612m, while
England's sold for 220 million pounds in
December 2004 to start in 2006.
- Reuters
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