LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has fired the starting gun on a potentially lucrative media rights auction, releasing tender documents for broadcasting deals across Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka spanning 2026 to 2028.
The prize package includes some of cricket’s crown jewels: the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, and the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. Women’s cricket gets equal billing with the T20 World Cup 2026 and the inaugural Women’s T20 Champions Trophy.
Pakistan emerges as the most complex battleground, with the ICC carving up rights into five separate packages covering both men’s and women’s tournaments. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka each get streamlined single-package deals combining television and digital rights—a nod to the region’s rapidly evolving media consumption habits.
Broadcasters and streaming platforms eyeing the action must contact iccmediarights2024-2031@icc-cricket.com to access tender documents. The ICC promises more invitation-to-tender releases for additional markets in the coming weeks, suggesting a coordinated global push to maximise revenues.
The timing reflects cricket’s commercial renaissance, particularly in south Asia where the sport commands religious devotion and advertising premiums. Pakistan’s multi-package approach hints at the ICC’s confidence in extracting maximum value from a market where cricket broadcasts routinely deliver audiences in the tens of millions.
The tender covers four men’s events and three women’s tournaments, underlining the ICC’s commitment to gender parity in its commercial strategy. For broadcasters, the stakes are clear: miss out now, and watch rivals corner one of sport’s most passionate fanbases until 2028.
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