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Danny Jordaan (Gallo Images)
South African Football Association (SAFA) President Danny jordaan has questioned the failure to reach a television licensing agreement with the broadcaster SuperSport This has resulted in Thursday’s international friendly against Namibia not being televised.
The Bafana Bafana are scheduled to face neighboring Namibia at the Royal Bafokeng at 18:00.
The game will be broadcast live on national broadcaster SABC 3 exclusively, but not on the pay channel SuperSport.
SuperSport has exclusive television rights agreements with various leagues on various sports codes, including the recently renamed DStv Premiership and Premier League.
Jordaan has again raised questions about the current stalemate as to how the South African men’s soccer team will not be shown on SuperSport.
“I hope it is not political because trade agreements should not have a political objective,” says Jordaan. Sport24.
“Also the other question of televising the women’s league is a matter that we hope to conclude with SuperSport.
“It cannot be that a South African broadcaster can sign agreements with all the sports codes in the country, even with football federations outside the country, and for some unknown reason it is not prepared to sign an agreement with SAFA.”
Early Thursday, SuperSport communications manager Clinton van der Berg said that SABC had exclusive rights to broadcast all Bafana Bafana matches.
“We won’t watch the match tonight. I think, and I’m open to correction, we only have rights to tournaments, but specifically not one-off matches like this … so, we don’t have the rights,” Van der Berg said.
On Wednesday, SuperSport announced that it had obtained the broadcasting rights to televise the Ethiopian Premier League.
“Through SuperSport, we are the leading sports broadcaster in Africa, and millions of fans watch our programming across the continent. Sport is an integral part of our content offering and supporting sports content development makes sense. for our business. This partnership will give the Ethiopian Premier League greater visibility, attracting fans from across the continent, “said Calvo Mawela, CEO of MultiChoice Group.
Bafana will compete in Group G alongside Ethiopia, Ghana and Zimbabwe in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers starting in May next year.
“We are going to involve them in this matter because they have just signed an agreement with Ethiopia that is in our group (Bafana Bafana),” Jordaan said.
“So we should see each other play Ethiopia and Ethiopia will make money playing South Africa and SAFA doesn’t make money.
“How do you understand that?
“They are paying approximately R2.8 billion for rugby, R1.4 billion for CSA for cricket, R1 billion for PSL (DStv Premiership) and they pay Ethiopia but nothing to SAFA. What’s going on?
“For example, it would be surprising if SuperSport chose not to sign an agreement with SA rugby but with New Zealand and pay New Zealand when it televises the matches between the two sides.
“It’s a strange thing.”
Tonight’s clash between Bafana Bafana and Namibia will be broadcast on SABC 3 starting at 18:00.
