The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sold the naming rights of Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium to the Bank of Punjab for Rs1 billion in a five-year deal. This marks a significant success for the PCB’s management, as the deal more than doubled the revenue from the previous naming rights agreement for National Stadium Karachi, which was sold for Rs450 million.
The PCB is upgrading Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi stadiums to prepare for the upcoming Champions Trophy. Billions of rupees are being spent on these improvements. To offset some of these costs, the PCB issued a tender for the naming rights of Gaddafi Stadium and secured this significant deal with the Bank of Punjab.
The stadium will now be renamed after the bank, similar to how National Stadium Karachi was renamed National Bank Cricket Arena after a naming rights deal in 2022 during Ramiz RajaRaja’s tenure. That five-year contract, worth Rs450 million, will end in 2027.
Under Mohsin NaqvNaqvi’sdership, the current PCB administration has secured more than double the amount for Gaddafi Stadium compared to KaraKarachi’sdium. This move is part of several projects initiated by the PCB to increase revenue for Pakistan cricket.
Naming stadiums after sponsors is a common practice worldwide, especially in countries like Australia and England, where it is a significant revenue source. The PCB plans to continue selling naming rights for additional stadiums.
