‘Passion for bat and ball’: Baseball United and PTV Partner to bring professional baseball to Pakistan

DUBAI: Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and South Asia, announced a partnership with the Pakistan Television Corporation on Saturday.

The collaboration will include coverage on PTV Sports of all 21 of Baseball United’s games this November and December, including several primetime games featuring the Karachi Monarchs, Pakistan’s first professional baseball franchise.

Broadcasts will feature English commentary and graphics, catering to Pakistan’s massive youth population — nearly 60 percent of the country’s population is aged under 25.

Baseball United’s inaugural season will feature the league’s four founding franchises — the Arabia Wolves and the Mid East Falcons from the UAE, India’s Mumbai Cobras, and Pakistan’s Karachi Monarchs. The Monarchs roster includes four Pakistani players: Musharaf Khan, Faisal Hayat, Amar Mahmood, and Pierce Khan.

The season opens with a matchup between Karachi and Mumbai in the three-game Subcontinent Series on Nov. 14, 15, and 16. It will be the first meeting between professional baseball teams from Pakistan and India, “symbolizing a new chapter of sportsmanship, growth, and unity through sport,” according to a press release. In addition to the four Pakistani players, the Monarchs’ roster features players from 10 countries, including the US, the Netherlands, and South Korea.

The partnership with PTV builds on Baseball United’s history of strong viewership in Pakistan; the league drew 3 million viewers per game during February’s friendly series between its two UAE franchises. The series between Karachi and Mumbai is set to significantly top those figures, the organizers believe.

“We are very grateful to announce this partnership with