LAHORE: With every edition, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is getting bigger and better, as evaluations conducted by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) revealed that the combined media exposure brand value of its third edition was 38 percent higher than the previous edition. A statement released by the PCB, quoting sports evaluation firm Nielsen Sports, said the PSL-3 garnered combined media exposure value worth over $230 million. “Leading sports evaluation firm Nielsen Sports has given the Pakistan Super League a hugely positive report on the third edition of the tournament,” the PCB statement said. The event was held in February-March this year in the UAE with three games, including the final, played in Pakistan. “The combined media exposure brand value worth for PSL season three (PSL, official partners and franchises) was calculated at $230 plus million,” the statement added. The PCB further said that Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings were the top two performing franchises in terms of total media value. “Social media was the platform that showed the greatest growth, increasing the value for PSL and its sponsors by almost four times. This was mainly due to more uploaded content and higher fan engagement on Facebook and Twitter on the official PSL platforms.” Nielsen Sports is the premier provider of analytics and insights within the sports industry, offering the most reliable source of independent and holistic market data in the sector and the most complete view of consumer trends and habits worldwide. The firm has also recently delivered the first ever global market research for the International Cricket Council (ICC). The PSL team, stakeholders and franchises were presented a thorough report on the third edition of the PSL by sports evaluation firm Nielsen Sports in Lahore yesterday. Kelvin Watt, Managing Director Africa and Middle East Nielsen Sports, who presented the report, spoke on the PSL’s growth in the third edition. Watt felt that the 2018 edition had further increased PSL’s value in and outside Pakistan. “Nielsen Sports has been associated with the PSL since its inception and we are very pleased to report back to the PCB and the various franchise owners the continued growth of the PSL in 2018. There is no doubt that the PSL truly became a globally relevant cricket event this year and we look forward to this property growing from strength to strength in the years ahead,” he added. Published in Daily Times, July 4th 2018.