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Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) brought a unique solution for cricket lovers during the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. This came in the form of an ad-free transmission of all the matches on their flagship digital TV service ‘Smart TV’.

According to Imran Janjua, GM Public Outreach and Corporate Communications, PTCL, “cricket has a wide following in Pakistan, but the broadcast of the event is often bombarded with advertisements which hamper the viewer experience. The ad-free solution was launched to deliver uninterrupted viewing across Pakistan.”

According to Janjua, since the launch, both audiences and app download rates have increased several fold, with a surge when Pakistan qualified for the semi-final and final. PTCL delivered ad-free viewing of the Champions Trophy in 2015 as well followed by an ad-free T20 World Cup transmission in 2016. Asked if the company would offer ad-free services for other programmes too, Janjua says the focus is only on sports events. PTCL Smart TV service can be accessed by anyone using its DSL broadband service.