Pakistan vs South Africa Broadcasting: TV Channels, Rights Holders & Live Details

Every Pakistan vs South Africa series raises the same question across the country: which channel is showing the match? The answer depends on where the series is played, because broadcast rights are split between the Pakistan Cricket Board’s home deals, Cricket South Africa’s away deals, and the ICC’s tournament deals. This guide lays out the full picture — the rights holders, the TV channels, the streaming apps, and the overseas broadcasters — so you never miss a ball.

Who Holds the Broadcast Rights

Cricket broadcast rights are sold in bundles, and Pakistan vs South Africa falls into three different bundles. Understanding the split is the fastest way to know where any given match will be shown.

Series in South Africa: In September 2024, Cricket South Africa awarded ARY Digital Network the exclusive broadcast rights in Pakistan for all CSA home international matches through 2027, in a deal brokered by IMG. That means when Pakistan tours South Africa, the series airs on A Sports in Pakistan. Pakistan is one of South Africa’s biggest viewing markets, accounting for a significant share of CSA’s global streaming audience.

Series in Pakistan: The PCB sells the domestic media rights for Pakistan’s home internationals separately. ARY held these rights through December 2026, and during that cycle Pak vs SA home matches aired on A Sports and Ten Sports — the pairing that carried the November 2025 ODI series in Faisalabad. The holder for each new rights cycle is announced by the PCB before the season.

ICC tournaments: World Cups and T20 World Cups are a separate ICC bundle. In Pakistan these air on PTV Sports, the state channel, alongside streaming apps.

Broadcasting in Pakistan: TV and Streaming

For TV viewers, the channel list is short and stable. A Sports is the first place to check — it is the channel with the dedicated CSA deal. Ten Sports shares bilateral coverage, particularly for home series. PTV Sports takes over for ICC events and is available free-to-air.

For streaming, Pakistan has four legal options. Tapmad is the premium sports OTT platform and streamed the 2025 ODI series. Tamasha offers a free tier that regularly includes live Pakistan cricket. ARY ZAP carries the A Sports feed online — the natural choice when ARY holds the rights. Myco has streamed Pakistan cricket in recent seasons and is worth checking on match days.

Watching From Abroad

Overseas fans have their own rights holders. In South Africa, every match is on SuperSport (DStv). In India, Star Sports and JioHotstar carry the action; in the UK and Ireland, Sky Sports; in the USA and Canada, Willow TV; in Australia, Fox Cricket; in New Zealand, Sky Sport NZ; in the Middle East, CricLife Max; and in the Caribbean, ESPN.

Schedules and Match Timings

Fixtures are announced by the PCB and CSA before each tour — venues, dates and start times are confirmed per series, never years in advance. For timing, remember the simple rule: Pakistan is 3 hours ahead of South Africa (PKT is UTC+5, SAST is UTC+2 with no daylight saving). A 1:00 pm start in Johannesburg is 4:00 pm in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. In Pakistan, day ODIs typically begin at 3:00 pm PKT and T20Is in the evening; Tests in South Africa usually start at 10:00 am SAST (1:00 pm PKT).

Who is the main broadcaster for Pak vs SA in Pakistan?

A Sports (ARY Digital Network). It holds the exclusive Pakistan rights to all Cricket South Africa home internationals through 2027 and has carried Pakistan’s home bilaterals against South Africa alongside Ten Sports.

Is Pakistan vs South Africa available on PTV Sports?

For bilateral series, usually not — those sit with A Sports and Ten Sports. PTV Sports broadcasts ICC tournaments such as the World Cup and T20 World Cup, where Pakistan and South Africa meet on the global stage.

Can I watch Pak vs SA for free?

Yes. Tamasha offers a free streaming tier that regularly includes live Pakistan cricket, and PTV Sports is free-to-air for ICC events. For the full bilateral broadcast feed, Tapmad and ARY ZAP offer paid access.

What time do Pak vs SA matches start in Pakistani time?

Add 3 hours to South African local times. In Pakistan, ODIs commonly start at 3:00 pm PKT and T20Is around 6:30–7:00 pm PKT. Always confirm against the official series schedule, which the boards release before each tour.