#PremierLeagueDikhaoPTV: Football fans urge state-broadcaster PTV to telecast English Premier League

With the start of the new season of league football, fans cannot contain their excitement. The previous season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, which was heartbreak for so many football viewers.

However, leagues like Serie A and Ligue 1 are broadcasted on some channels, and viewers can easily watch it. La Liga can also be viewed on Facebook Live. But the English Premier League, the most famous league, is not telecasted live on television in Pakistan.

Although PTV Sports owns the broadcasting rights to the EPL, the matches are not telecasted. Last year, the football fans decided to take matters in their own hands and put a lot of pressure on PTV, after which EPL (English Premier League) was finally broadcasted.

Repeating history, fans have once again started a Twitter campaign #PremierLeagueDikhaoPTV, urging the state-owned broadcaster to telecast the football matches.

Here’s how people reacted:

As a die hard football fan I DEMAND PTV TO SHOW PREMIER LEAGUE#EPL
#premierleaguedikhaoPTV

— Rayyan ahmed (@_RayyanAhmed_) September 22, 2020

Football ko izzat do. EPL dikhao #premierleaguedikhaoPTV pic.twitter.com/EjWtAGDbdO

— Ken8500gt (@Ken8500gt) September 22, 2020

Why would you buy the rights spend tons of dollars(from taxpayers money) and than not air @premierleague. @DrNaumanNiaz @shiblifaraz @PTVSp0rts #premierleaguedikhaoPTV

— Ubaid Baber (@Ubaid7) September 22, 2020

2020 and Pakistanis still have no way of watching @premierleague in Pakistan legally. #PremierLeagueDikhaoptv@A_Sheikh123 sir kuch karwayen!

— Saqib Tanveer (@SaqibTanveer) September 21, 2020

https://twitter.com/hereisIrfan/status/1308351618778386432

WE WANT TO SEE LALIGA MATCHES TOO #LaligaDhikao #premierleaguedikhaoPTV

— Munib (@Munib62926525) September 22, 2020

We want to watch football in Pakistani channels please show EPL and ka Liga in Pakistan governmentshould make some policies #premierleaguedikhaoPTV pic.twitter.com/5tOQOlbsYU

— Ch Mansoor Hayat (@MansoorCh18) September 22, 2020

Many people criticized PTV for showing cricket, and not football.

It's ptv cricket.. Not sports

— Applepie ? (@itzwajiii) September 22, 2020

The most watchable sport in the world is football and in our country sports channels still stuck in the 80s and 90s highlights and ignored the present one what a joke and then they said spread positivity through sports all around so much hypocrisy. #premierleaguedikhaoPTV pic.twitter.com/jRECM7xazD

— Taimur™ CHAMP19NS ?? (@Taimi_Lfc87) September 22, 2020

Na karo yar… 1965 k matches phir kon dikhaye ga?

— Salman Sanaullah (@SalmanSanaull10) September 22, 2020

Why no one investing in sports industry? Its 2020 and there are only 3 sports channels in Pakistan. Which only shows cricket#premierleaguedikhaoPTV

— Martian (@xnexus4) September 22, 2020

Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhary took notice of this rising trend on the social media and addressed it. He said he will have a ‘conversation’ with MD PTV and Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shibli Faraz.

For everyone tagging @fawadchaudhry, he is Minister for Science and technology now.
When he was Minister for Information and Broadcasting, PTV resumed broadcast of live Football. #PremierLeagueDikhao

— Batool Janjua (@BatoolJanjua) September 21, 2020

The Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr. Fehmida Mirza also addressed the matter and showed her support.

How do you plan to promote sports in Pakistan when you are only showing cricket? How will we ever regain the glory we once achieved on international stage in sports?@DrFMirza @shiblifaraz #premierleaguedikhaoptv https://t.co/CHS3OTRRFr

— Farjad Hassan (@mfarjadhassan) September 21, 2020

After garnering so much attention, it seems like the prayers of football fans may be answered. EPL fans might be able to watch their favorite team on television very soon.

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