PTV Sports is the free-to-air backbone of legal cricket in Pakistan. The state broadcaster’s sports channel carries every PSL match, every Pakistan men’s home and away tour and every ICC event the PCB licenses domestically — terrestrially, via PakSat satellite and on cable / DTH basic packs. This page is the platform reference: reception, what’s covered, what’s not.
Where to watch PTV Sports
| Reception method | One-time hardware cost (PKR) | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Terrestrial antenna | PKR 1,500–3,000 antenna | Free |
| FTA satellite dish (PakSat) | PKR 3,000–6,000 set-top + dish | Free |
| Cable TV (basic FTA bouquet) | Operator-dependent | Bundled in basic pack |
| PTC Cable / DTH (basic) | Operator-dependent | Bundled in basic pack |
The FTA satellite route is the most reliable for rural and inter-city viewers; PakSat alignment is straightforward and the receiver hardware is one-time.
Pan-region availability
PTV Sports is Pakistan-only by licence and satellite footprint. International streams exist on PTV’s own pages but are routinely subject to rights gating on premium fixtures.
| Region | FTA cricket equivalent |
|---|---|
| Pakistan | PTV Sports (PSL + Pakistan tours + ICC events) |
| India | DD Sports (much narrower — selected India home matches + selected ICC) |
| United Kingdom | BBC iPlayer (highlights only) |
| Diaspora globally | PTV Sports streams on official PTV web property (geo-restrictions on premium fixtures) |
Series schedule
The 2026 PTV Sports cricket calendar embeds below.
Cricket schedule — legal broadcasters by country
Bilateral India + Pakistan rights split, with UK and Australia for the diaspora. Tour windows shift; confirm kick-off against the rights-holder app on match day.
| Series | Format | Window | Teams | India (legal) | Pakistan (legal) | UK (legal) | Australia (legal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Champions Trophy 2026 | ODI | Feb 2026 | 8 nations (TBC host: Pakistan) | Star Sports / JioHotstar | PTV Sports / Tapmad TV | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket / Kayo Sports |
| IPL 2026 | T20 league | Mar–May 2026 | 10 franchises | Star Sports + JioHotstar | Not licensed (PEMRA blackout) | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket |
| PSL 2026 | T20 league | Apr–May 2026 | 6 franchises | Sony Sports (subject to confirmation) | PTV Sports / Tapmad TV / A Sports | Sky Sports / Willow TV | TBC |
| England tour of India | Tests + ODIs + T20Is | Jan–Feb 2026 | India vs England | Star Sports + JioHotstar | PTV / Ten Sports | Sky Sports Cricket / TNT Sports | Fox Cricket |
| Australia vs India ODI series | ODI | Oct–Nov 2026 (tentative) | India vs Australia | Sony Sports / JioHotstar | Ten Sports | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket / Channel 7 |
| ICC T20 World Cup 2026 | T20 World Cup | Feb–Mar 2026 (India + Sri Lanka hosts) | 20 nations | Star Sports + JioHotstar + DD Sports (selected) | PTV / A Sports | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket / Channel 7 |
| BBL 2025/26 finals | T20 league knockout | Feb 2026 | Top-5 BBL | Sony Sports | Sony Sports (selected) | BT Sport / TNT Sports | Channel 7 + Fox Cricket |
| The Hundred 2026 | 100-ball league | Aug 2026 | 8 franchises | Sony Sports (TBC) | TBC | Sky Sports + BBC (selected) | Fox Cricket (TBC) |
| CPL 2026 | T20 league | Aug–Sep 2026 | 6 franchises | FanCode / Star Sports | Tapmad TV | Sky Sports / FanCode | Kayo Sports |
| ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 | T20 World Cup (Women) | Jun 2026 (England host) | 10 nations | Star Sports / JioHotstar | PTV | Sky Sports + BBC | Fox Cricket |
| Asia Cup 2026 | T20 / ODI (TBC) | Sep 2026 | 6 nations | Star Sports / JioHotstar | PTV / A Sports | Sky Sports | Fox Cricket |
| WTC 2025–27 cycle: India tests | Test | Through Jun 2027 | India + opponents | Star Sports + JioHotstar | Ten Sports | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket |
| Sri Lanka tour of Australia | ODI + T20I | Feb 2026 | Sri Lanka vs Australia | FanCode | Tapmad TV | Sky Sports (selected) | Fox Cricket / Channel 7 |
| Pakistan vs Bangladesh ODI series | ODI | Apr 2026 | Pakistan vs Bangladesh | Ten Sports | PTV Sports / A Sports | Sky Sports (selected) | TBC |
| Pakistan tour of England | Tests + ODIs + T20Is | Jul–Aug 2026 | Pakistan vs England | Sony Sports | PTV Sports / A Sports | Sky Sports Cricket | Fox Cricket (selected) |
CricHD Guide is editorial only — we do not host, embed or link to unauthorised streams. Match access is via the licensed broadcaster apps listed above.
| Series 2026 | PTV Sports FTA carry | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ICC Champions Trophy (Feb, Pakistan host) | Yes — every match | Marquee FTA event |
| ICC T20 World Cup (Feb–Mar) | Yes — every Pakistan match + selected others | India + Sri Lanka co-host |
| Pakistan vs Bangladesh home (Apr) | Yes — every match | Home ODI series |
| PSL 2026 (Apr–May) | Yes — every match | 30 league + playoffs |
| Pakistan tour of England (Jul–Aug) | Yes — every match | Tests + ODIs + T20Is |
| Asia Cup (Sep) | Yes — Pakistan matches | T20 / ODI TBC |
| IPL 2026 | No — PEMRA blackout | No legal Pakistan route |
How to watch legally on PTV Sports
- Confirm your reception — terrestrial antenna if you’re in a PTV transmitter footprint, FTA satellite dish otherwise. Cable subscribers usually have PTV Sports in the basic FTA bouquet.
- Check the day-of programming — PTV Sports’ EPG publishes the day’s cricket schedule on PTV’s official site and on the channel’s screen-bug.
- For the IPL specifically, PTV does not carry it. The PEMRA blackout is hard.
- For HD upgrade, A Sports through your cable operator’s sports pack.
PCB rights structure and FTA carry
PCB’s domestic-rights tenders include a clause requiring the awarded rights-holder consortium to provide the PTV terrestrial feed at no incremental cost. This is contractual — written into each rights cycle — rather than statutory like India’s Sports Broadcasting Signals Act. The practical effect is the same outcome with more breadth: where DD Sports gets a slice, PTV gets the full house.
This is the editorial reason PTV Sports is the default cricket channel of Pakistan, and why CricHD Guide treats it as the cornerstone of the legal-cricket map.
CricHD Guide homepage (Pakistan) · PSL 2026 guide · A Sports cricket guide · Tapmad TV cricket guide