As the Nigeria Premier Football League prepares for its return to TV on Sunday, the controversy over the broadcast rights ownership of the league erupted again after Total Promotions Nigeria Limited threatened legal action against the new broadcast partners of the league, StarTimes, over its recent broadcast rights deal with the NPFL board, The PUNCH reports.
StarTimes and the NPFL earlier this month signed a five-year deal worth N6bn to bring the country’s elite league back on television, with the match-day eight game between Akwa United and Remo Stars at the Eket Township Stadium on Sunday November 19 the first that would be broadcast live by StarTimes.
However, in a letter to StarTimes titled ‘Re-Television Broadcast Rights for the Nigerian Premier League/Nigeria Football League’, which was sighted by our correspondent, Total Promotions claimed that the broadcast rights still resided with them, stating that there were also legal injunctions preventing any other party to tamper with such.
“We write to inform you that the property you claimed to have signed is not available as it is, at the very least, still residing in Total Promotion against any parties tampering with the Broadcast Right between Total Promotions Nigeria Limited and Nigeria Football League Limited in Suit No: LD/997/2013,” the letter read in part.”
An NPFL official, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, however claimed that the said contract Total Promotions had with the league had nothing to do with the current NPFL board, claiming it expired in 2021.
“LMC (League Management Company) didn’t sign a contract with them and they sued them (LMC), it didn’t work and that’s the same thing they are doing with the current NPFL board. The truth is they don’t have a contract with the NPFL or the LMC,” the official said.
The 2023/24 Nigeria Premier Football League season commenced September 30 with matches currently being streamed with AI cameras installed at match venues while the television broadcast on StarTimes commences Sunday.
StarTimes has launched a new high-definition channel, Beta Sports, for the live coverage of the league.
