Pakistan’s government-owned sports channel PTV Sports is not telecasting the country’s Boxing Day Test match against Australia due to the placement of advertisements for surrogate betting companies at the MCG.

For the first time in decades, viewers cannot watch a live cricket match featuring the men’s team on PTV Sports, also the official broadcasting partner of the Pakistan Cricket Board. The channel discontinued airing the series after the Information and Broadcasting Ministry vowed no tolerance against surrogate betting companies last week. The stakeholders were also urged against promoting any advertisements during the live coverage of any sporting event.

Pakistan Tour to Australia, Test Series airing on PTV Sports pic.twitter.com/kQJfZhynMK

— PTV Sports (@PTVSp0rts) December 26, 2023

In an update shared on X (formerly Twitter), PTV Sports put out a statement: “Pakistan Television (PTV Sports) adhering to the Government of Pakistan’s policy, ‘Zero tolerance for the surrogate Companies’ has discontinued airing the second Test match from Melbourne being played from December 26th, 2023 in lieu of the Pakistan vs Australia Cricket Series 2023-24.”

PTV Sports further added that they had taken up the issue with the parent broadcaster in Australia to remove the “brand placements of on ground surrogate companies’ advertisements (virtual advertising)”.

So no airing of Aus-Pak Test in Pak because of the ban on surrogate betting pic.twitter.com/DUI1Do5fDV

— Osman Samiuddin (@OsmanSamiuddin) December 26, 2023

“The series will be telecast live once the matter is resolved. PTV as a state broadcaster is endeavouring to get the issue resolved to avoid future blackouts of such transmissions in the territory of Pakistan.”

In an earlier advisory, the IBM asked all other ministries to not engage in any kind of cooperation with surrogate companies operating illegally in the country. It also strictly warned media outlets to not “promote the surrogate companies of betting houses through any kind of advertisements.”

It was observed that the logos of two surrogate companies were repeatedly shown on live broadcast of the Australia-Pakistan Test on PTV Sports for multiple hours across days.

Viewers can watch the ongoing Test live on Ten Sports in Pakistan, with live broadcast on Tamasha and Tapmad.

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