Former Chairman of Gombe United Football Club, Ahmed Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, has described as ‘unacceptable’, the NI.6 billion deal between Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and pay television service provider, StarTimes.
Officials of NPFL and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) signed the N1.6 billion five-year broadcast rights deal with the management of StarTimes in Abuja on Thursday.
To Gara-Gombe, the N1.6 billion deal is a big insult to Nigerians and football stakeholders in the country.
“As far as I am concerned, Play and win chess selling the TV broadcast right of our league at just N1.6billion per year is total rubbish and is unacceptable. We won’t take such rubbish,” an angry Gara-Gombe told The Guardian, yesterday.
He continued: “If you look at the size of our league, the market, the viewership and the population of our country, for somebody to came and give us a mere N1.6billion for our league, to say the least, is the most terrible thing to happen to Nigerian football. Is that the value of our league? Horse Betting Odds And to add salt to injury, StarTimes says it will broadcast just two matches per week. It is unacceptable.
“I have someone who can bring in $11 million yearly to put the Nigerian league on television. How can someone collect just N1.6 billion for the Nigerian league? How much is N1.6 billion to the US dollars? If you go by current market rate, sports betting N1.6billion is just about $830,000. Is that not madness? By the time you take out other expenses, how much will go to the clubs? It is unacceptable.”
Speaking further, Gara-Gombe, who is currently the chairman of Gombe State Athletics Association, asked: “What was the yardstick used to bring in StarTimes? Was there a transparent way for bidding? How come the bidding process was not opened up to the public for other companies to apply or express their interest? Everybody is celebrating a mere N1.6 billion saying it is good for our football. What is good in it? We are talking of mere N1.6billion not in US dollars. Enough of this insult on Nigerian football! Where in the world will StarTimes make such offer? We are poor in so many areas, sure virtual betting including infrastructures, medical and insurance for players. With the kind technology in existence all over the globe, StarTimes want to put just two of our matches on television on weekly basis. I have people with the technology that can give Nigerians all the matches played simultaneously on television. You can then choose the one you want to watch, and you can switch. We have the equipment and technology to do it.
“I don’t want to call this deal with StarTimes a huge fraud. But how come the bidding process was not thrown open to everyone. Where on earth do you see this kind of thing? As I said earlier, I have someone who is ready to bring in $11 million into the Nigerian league. I am challenging anybody that the Nigerian league is worth $11million, and it is possible. Collecting just N1.6 billion from StarTimes, and everybody is singing praises is an insult to all of us. It is unacceptable,” Play Chess Bet Games and Win Big! Gara-Gombe stated.
President of the NFF, Ibrahim Gusau, who led members of the board of the NPFL to the signing in Abuja, on Thursday, said: “We thank God for making this day a reality. It has been our dream and earnest desire to do everything it takes to improve our domestic league.
According to him, the broadcast deal was aimed at driving the interest of football fans in the country over foreign football leagues like the English Premier League (EPL).
Chairman of the NPFL board, Gbenga Elegbeleye, said that the deal with StarTimes would potentially witness a N50million increment annually from 2023 to 2028.
