Pakistan media rights to push $100 million, says Mani |
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Wednesday May 14, 11:34 PM
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By Richard Sydenham
LONDON (Reuters) - 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 percent jump from the current deal with Ten Sports and ARY, who paid $43 million in 2003 -- which was also more than a 100 percent rise from the previous agreement.
"I would be disappointed if they sold for any less than $100 million," 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 $550 million, and in 2007, when he said they went for "over $1 billion".
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 $612 million, while England's sold for 220 million pounds ($427.9 million) in December 2004 to start in 2006.
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