Why would you buy a franchise of the HBL PSL? Back in 2015, when the teams first went up for sale, there was little financial incentive in buying a team. The tournament was being hosted entirely in Dubai, there was no guarantee that the PCB would have the patience (or stability) for a second season, and there were questions over whether the tournament would even be watched with the existence of the Indian Premier League right next door.
But the reality of franchise sports all over the world is that to the team owners, it isn’t always about the finances. Oftentimes it is a way to simply be close and involved in a game you love. Imagine you’re a billionaire and you’ve made your money doing something boring like selling socks or metal beams. You’ve spent your entire life becoming outrageously wealthy, but you still haven’t quite found the same happiness you did playing football with your friends as a kid. Even now, nothing quite gets you as passionate or entranced as a tight game in your favourite league. That is the moment you realise you can afford to not just be a viewer anymore. If you want to be involved, you can buy time and run it. Pick the coaches, hang out with the players, decide what works and what doesn’t — the full works. The content in this publication is expensive to produce. But unlike other journalistic outfits, business publications have to cover the very organizations that directly give them advertisements. Hence, this large source of revenue, which is the lifeblood of other media houses, is severely compromised on account of Profit’s no-compromise policy when it comes to our reporting. No wonder, Profit has lost multiple ad deals, worth tens of millions of rupees, due to stories that held big businesses to account. Hence, for our work to continue unfettered, it must be supported by discerning readers who know the value of quality business journalism, not just for the economy but for the society as a whole.To read the full article, subscribe and support independent business journalism in Pakistan
