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[Saba Sports News] Cricket fans in Pakistan face an unexpected interruption in their viewing experience as PTV Sports, the official broadcaster for the Pakistan Cricket Board, has suddenly stopped live coverage of the ongoing Test series between Australia and Pakistan. This decision follows a directive from Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry, which maintains a firm “zero tolerance” policy against surrogate betting companies.
PTV Sports, in a statement on ‘X’, announced, “In compliance with the Government of Pakistan’s policy of ‘Zero tolerance for surrogate Companies’, PTV Sports has ceased broadcasting the second Test match in Melbourne, part of the 2023-24 Pakistan vs Australia Cricket Series, starting December 26th, 2023.”
The broadcaster has communicated with the Australian parent broadcaster to eliminate the virtual advertising of surrogate companies on the field. They assure that the live coverage will resume once the issue is resolved. PTV Sports stated, “We have raised this issue with the parent broadcaster and PEMRA, as well as other relevant authorities, to remove on-ground surrogate companies’ virtual ads.”
As a national broadcaster, PTV is actively working to resolve this issue to prevent similar disruptions in the future. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has also advised other ministries against collaborating with illegal surrogate companies and cautioned media outlets against promoting them.
PTV added, “Live broadcasting will continue once the matter is settled. We are committed to resolving this issue to avoid future broadcast blackouts in Pakistan.”
During the live transmission of the Australia-Pakistan Test, logos of two surrogate companies were prominently displayed, leading to this decision. Meanwhile, Pakistani viewers can still follow the Test live on alternative channels like Ten Sports, Tamasha, and Tapmad.