The UAE-based startup OTT streaming platform, Begin, has secured the Pakistani streaming video-on-demand (SVOD) rights to broadcast English soccer’s elite tier Premier League matches for the 2024-25 season. This exclusive deal marks a significant milestone in the sports broadcasting industry of Pakistan.
Begin's acquisition of these rights comes through a sublicensing agreement with state broadcaster PTV, which is also an EPL rightsholder. PTV had previously struck a deal with Star India to cover EPL action in Pakistan for the 2022-25 cycle. The Star-EPL agreement was valued at $51 million over three seasons.
In addition to sublicensing SVOD rights to Begin, PTV has also sublicensed advertising-based video-on-demand rights to platform Myco.
Broadcasting every game of the season
Begin will broadcast every match of the 2024-25 season in Pakistan. Despite cricket's popularity in the country, Jonathan Mark, Begin’s founding chief executive, highlighted that there is a substantial fan base for EPL that can significantly benefit their service.
However, securing legal viewership remains challenging due to prevalent piracy and illegal streaming issues within Pakistan. To combat this issue and secure its share of legal viewership, Begin has been collaborating with major international broadcasters who are providing relevant notes for regulators.
Jonathan Mark, Begin’s founding chief executive of Begin, said:
“When you take care of piracy, so there is no [illegal] visibility, all of this effort is obviously targeted to one goal in growing our subscriber base exponentially, because the EPL has a huge following in this part of the world.
“We are a one-stop solution where we’re providing all the games at a very nominal cost as opposed to what you might have to pay [through illegal streaming services] or to access sites through a VPN, so the numbers are very promising.”
Filling the void in the market
Mark believes there was a gap in the Pakistani market after previous sublicensees backed out - an opportunity that Begin aims to exploit now coupled with their crackdown on piracy. He explained how during the 2023-24 EPL season there were no other legal on-demand outlets available initially which created a huge void they aim to fill now.
Jonathan Mark added:
“We’re trying to tap into the Gen Z market. We’re going to be adding a lot of wraparound programming, and we’re talking to some international influencers with huge numbers to be doing pre-match, halftime, and post-match analysis."
The 2024-25 Premier League season began on August 16 and will run through May next year featuring total 380 matches. Begin is also exploring avenues for ancillary content, shoulder programming, and team-specific highlights packages. Alongside the freshly secured Premier League rights, Begin also streams professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling and holds the exclusive Pakistani rights to golf’s elite PGA Tour and DP World Tour competitions.
Begin was launched in June 2024 with backing from investment vehicle Z2C Limited. It initially secured licensing rights for non-sports entertainment content from media giants NBCUniversal and Sony Pictures Entertainment. This new deal marks a significant step forward in sports broadcasting within Pakistan. By securing these exclusive EPL rights, Begin is not only filling a void in the market but also taking substantial steps towards combating piracy within the industry.
