For the first time, the two new Pakistan Super League franchises will be sold through an open auction, moving away from the closed bidding process that decided the original six teams. The auction is scheduled for January 6 next year.
The process represents a clear break from the league’s early years, when franchise rights were allocated through sealed bids. This time the next two teams will emerge from a public contest, shaped by transparent valuation and open competition, setting the tone for the PSL’s next phase of growth.
The shift largely follows a comprehensive valuation exercise carried out by global auditors firm Ernst & Young. Their assessment covered the league’s commercial assets, including team valuations, media rights, in-stadia sponsorships and, crucially, the projected worth of the two new franchise slots.
The move to have open auction reflects both confidence in the league’s commercial strength and a desire for transparency. Independent valuation was meant to establish clear benchmarks and allow market forces, rather than private negotiations to shape the price of new ownership stakes.
The PCB had already published the tender process inviting parties to submit their technical proposals by December 15 and only technically qualified bidders will be invited to the auction.
The decision marked a shift in tone. The PSL, once a fledgling venture looking for stable footing, is now seen by the board as a mature property capable of attracting aggressive bids. The expectation is that competition will raise the league’s long-term commercial ceiling.
To create competitive balance, successful bidders will have right to choose from a shortlist of potential home bases. The cities shortlisted are Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, Faisalabad, Gilgit and Rawalpindi.
Over the past decade, the PCB has earned USD 142.3 million in franchise-rights fees. Among the original five teams, Karachi Kings have historically paid the highest annual fee at USD 2.6 million, followed by Lahore Qalandars at USD 2.5 million. Peshawar Zalmi pay USD 1.6 million, Islamabad United pay USD 1.5 million, and Quetta Gladiatorspay USD 1.1 million. These amounts were set during the league’s launch cycle in 2016 and formed the financial bedrock of the PSL’s early years.
Multan Sultans joined in the third season when the Schön Group secured the team at USD 5.2 million per year, the highest commitment at the time. Their ownership ended after one season because of payment defaults, leading the PCB to terminate the eight-year agreement. The franchise was then re-tendered and won by the Tareen family, whose USD 6.3 million per year bid remains the highest for any PSL team to date.
In total, Multan have paid USD 49.3 million in franchise fees across eight seasons, with the Tareens contributing USD 44.1 million of that since taking over in 2019.
The process represents a clear break from the league’s early years, when franchise rights were allocated through sealed bids. This time the next two teams will emerge from a public contest, shaped by transparent valuation and open competition, setting the tone for the PSL’s next phase of growth.
The shift largely follows a comprehensive valuation exercise carried out by global auditors firm Ernst & Young. Their assessment covered the league’s commercial assets, including team valuations, media rights, in-stadia sponsorships and, crucially, the projected worth of the two new franchise slots.
The move to have open auction reflects both confidence in the league’s commercial strength and a desire for transparency. Independent valuation was meant to establish clear benchmarks and allow market forces, rather than private negotiations to shape the price of new ownership stakes.
The PCB had already published the tender process inviting parties to submit their technical proposals by December 15 and only technically qualified bidders will be invited to the auction.
The decision marked a shift in tone. The PSL, once a fledgling venture looking for stable footing, is now seen by the board as a mature property capable of attracting aggressive bids. The expectation is that competition will raise the league’s long-term commercial ceiling.
To create competitive balance, successful bidders will have right to choose from a shortlist of potential home bases. The cities shortlisted are Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, Faisalabad, Gilgit and Rawalpindi.
Over the past decade, the PCB has earned USD 142.3 million in franchise-rights fees. Among the original five teams, Karachi Kings have historically paid the highest annual fee at USD 2.6 million, followed by Lahore Qalandars at USD 2.5 million. Peshawar Zalmi pay USD 1.6 million, Islamabad United pay USD 1.5 million, and Quetta Gladiatorspay USD 1.1 million. These amounts were set during the league’s launch cycle in 2016 and formed the financial bedrock of the PSL’s early years.
Multan Sultans joined in the third season when the Schön Group secured the team at USD 5.2 million per year, the highest commitment at the time. Their ownership ended after one season because of payment defaults, leading the PCB to terminate the eight-year agreement. The franchise was then re-tendered and won by the Tareen family, whose USD 6.3 million per year bid remains the highest for any PSL team to date.
In total, Multan have paid USD 49.3 million in franchise fees across eight seasons, with the Tareens contributing USD 44.1 million of that since taking over in 2019.
