South African satellite television, Supersports, has once again denied any contractual agreement with the managers of the Nigerian Premier League, the Interim Management Committee (IMC) led by Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye.
The solicitors to Total Promotions Limited had written to the IMC chairman and also copied the Minister for Youth and Sports Development, GTI Group and SuperSports International, in a notice dated February 17, 2023, informing them of a window to resolve the lingering title rights issues which had been severally breached by different organisers of the league.
Reacting to the letter, General Manager, West Africa, SuperSport, Mr. Felix Awogu, acknowledges receipt of the letter but quickly adds that the South African outfit has no TV rights of the NPFL or IMC.
“We don’t have the right or commercial dispute to resolve,” Awogu said in an interview. “The letter was also sent to our office in South Africa and there is no move to follow up any of the things in the letter.”
Chairman of the Interim Management Committee, Elegbeleye had informed Nigerians before the league proceeded on first half break revealing that the second stanza of the league would be telecast live by Supersports.
But the denial by the outfit’s boss in West Africa has cast a blanket of doubt and darkness once again on the Nigeria football league that has been mired in litany of litigations and a case of perpetual injunction restraining Supersports from interfering with the Nigerian league broadcast rights.
Speculations are rife that the IMC might have awarded the TV rights to GTI Group who is in turn banking on SuperSports for live telecast of the Nigeria Premier League matches. But the Total Promotions Limited team of solicitors warned that doing that is another attempt by the IMC to continue to build illegality on an illegal structure.
“It is important to note that while there may be a succession of managers or operators of the Nigeria Premier League/Nigeria Football League/Nigeria Professional Football League, contracts and liabilities made or incurred by previous managers or operators of the same league cannot be disregarded or wished away,” the letter from the solicitors read in part.
“We have heard your rumoured move to ignore the court order and ongoing litigation, including our client’s entitlements under the contracts and proceed to re-award the television broadcast rights to SuperSports and GTl Group. It would be wrong for you to try it.”