LHC bars PTV from finalising deal with Indian TV channel
LAHORE: Justice Umar Ata Bandial of the Lahore High Court on Friday restrained the Pakistan Television Corporation from finalising a deal with Indian channel Ten Sports for sub-licensing rights to telecast International Cricket Council (ICC) cricket to be held from 2012 to 2015.
The judge issued the restraining order on a petition moved by Independent Music Group SMC (Pvt) Ltd seeking telecast rights for its channel, Geo Super. Justice Bandial ordered the petitioner to submit the required amount in the bank, give a guarantee to the court and then approach the PTC for rights.
Petitioner’s counsel Saim Hashim submitted that the group was the holder of Pakistan’s sole and exclusive sports channel’s licence, which it had acquired under the directives of the Supreme Court on June 6. The counsel submitted that the petitioner had acquired four years’ exclusive rights earlier for ICC cricket events from ESPN to telecast certain cricket tournaments, including the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, on cable and satellite TV within the territory of Pakistan. He stated that the PTC had also acquired rights to telecast the world cup matches on its TV channel, PTV, from ESPN, but only through its terrestrial network.
He submitted that after the expiry of the licence this year, ESPN invited bids for the auction of rights to broadcast ICC cricket events for the next four years in Pakistan, including rights to broadcast the next ICC World Cup in 2015.
He claimed that the PTC made a bid for $30 million and had entered into back-to-back arrangements with Ten Sports. He said that on October 27, after discovering that the PTC was formalising its arrangements with Ten Sports, the petitioner wrote a letter to PTC, which stated that they were willing to form a joint venture with PTV for ICC events on the same terms and conditions which were being offered to the Indian TV channel, but they refused their offer without giving any reasons and entered into a MoU with Ten Sports.
He requested that PTC be restrained from sub-licensing ICC cricket 2012-15 rights to Ten Sports.
The judge deferred further proceedings for December 2.
Source: Daily Times
Date:11/26/2011
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