Economics behind ticket pricing for India–Pakistan cricket matches.

Cricket matches between India and Pakistan are more than just a game, they are an exciting occasion with big stakes, history and competition. These games have emotional, cultural and political meaning for fans. For businesses, they are a profitable source of revenue. The combination of guaranteed large audiences and symbolic competition makes each India-Pakistan match an economic phenomenon in and of itself. Viewers are guaranteed by the intense competition. Advertisers network providers and venues are aware that India-Pakistan matches bring in a consistent profit. Because political stories and national pride affect ad prices and audience sizes, media excitement heightens the spectacle. The lack of regular bilateral series since 2012 has increased the value of these matches as highly sought-after commodities and organizers are able to charge higher fees. The Asia Cup 2025 group-stage match between India and Pakistan in Dubai demonstrated just how much prices can rise. Standard seats cost ₹10000 while VIP suites and Royal Boxes cost ₹2. 5 lakh. The Sky Box East for example cost ₹1. 67 lakh for a pair while the Royal Box cost ₹2. 3 lakh. Despite the excitement a number of expensive tickets were unsold hours before the game indicating a discrepancy between supply and demand. Formerly popular games often sell out in a matter of minutes but high ticket costs and pre-arranged corporate/hospitality packages may turn away regular fans which pushes demand to the secondary market. India-Pakistan matches are a particular kind of match. Tickets were significantly less expensive for the 2025 Asia Cup matches between India and England or Australia. Conventional seating for these games usually starts at around ₹3000 to ₹5000 while luxury hospitality suites rarely cost more than ₹1–1. 5 lakh for two seats. Accordingly the premium seats for India-Pakistan started at ₹1. 67 lakh and went up to ₹2. 5 lakh. Broadcasters can demand up to ₹16 lakh for a 10-second ad slot during India-Pakistan matches whereas other major games may only bring in about half that sum. While tickets for other matches rarely go above 2×–3× in secondary markets, tickets for India–Pakistan matches can sell for 5×–10× their original prices. India-Pakistan matches are rare and have symbolic meaning which raises demand and prices. Broadcasting rights and sponsorship deals provide the majority of revenue. A 10-second ad slot cost between ₹14 and 16 lakh according to Sony which owned India's media rights for the 2025 Asia Cup. Industry estimates show that over the previous 20 years conflicts between India and Pakistan have generated over ₹10000 crore in total revenue. Sponsors aggressively compete for viewers' attention by combining broadcast and hospitality arrangements with offers. The boards particularly the BCCI benefit the most from this revenue though a portion is distributed through ICC/ACC prize money schemes. An overblown underground market is created by automated programs resellers and packaged goods. Genuine fans may be let down if they purchase tickets at face value because they can be sold for multiple times their original cost. The lack of transparency surrounding corporate allocations exacerbates concerns about artificial scarcity. Because of its dominance over Indian cricket the BCCI has the power to set broadcasting rights ticket prices and distribution. The board makes significant profits while opposing political positions against Pakistan which has led to accusations of manufactured outrage that hides financial interests. To put it simply, the India-Pakistan games produce the perfect balance of high demand, limited supply and media-driven enthusiasm. Tickets are more than just a place to sit, they represent competition guaranteed attendance and limited supply making them more than just matches against other countries and one of cricket's most lucrative events.