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GTI perfecting plans to stream NPFL in 100 countries, budgets $5billion for new term
By Wale Mustapha
Group Managing Director of GTI, Abubakar Lawal has revealed that arrangement is in final stages to have the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL beamed live in over 100 countries of the world.
Lawal who made the disclosure in an interview stated that modern live streaming equipments and AI technological gadgets have been acquired to realize the target.
GTI were the corporate entity that were contracted to reposition Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL which they have commenced the process with last football season when they partnered with the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF and the Interim Management Committee, IMC of the NPFL.
The 2022/2023 NPFL, though abridged, recorded tremendous success in organization, administration, officiating and competitiveness as well as prize money for the eventual winners.
Lawal said efforts are being made to revitalize the Nigeria football league from being perceived from an ordinary recreational to business starting with its visibility.
“We are speaking to a lot of sponsors and we have a story now. We have a business case that we are building. And we are engaging Corporate Nigeria and global brands. The next season is kicking off in August, end of August.
“Between now and end of August, we are trying to manage and galvanise liquidity into the ecosystem, because we have created value and we needed to showcase the value for partners, associates and sponsors to partner with us in delivering value to Nigerian youths and creating a football economy that Nigerians and all the stakeholders will be happy about.
“Already, we have a deal with a brand in Europe for the streaming of the Nigerian league in over 100 countries of the world. Fantastic! AI technology is going to be deployed.
“We are planning and can you imagine you waking up in New York, Asia, Europe and other parts of Africa to watch the live streaming of the league.
“So, if you have a product in Nigeria and you are not partnering with us, you’ll be losing out of this huge exposure and mileage before billion eyes across the world,” Lawal said.
The veteran investment banker also disclosed that GTI through The Nigeria Football Fund, TNFF will be expending about $5billion in coming season in a bid to make the league more admirable, acceptable and viable to more sponsors.
“There were a whole lot of things that we did in the course of that maiden season. And I think that’s not enough.
“We put a value on the winner. We gave 100 million naira to the winner as well as a tidy sum of money to the runners-up, which was a clear departure from what we used to have.
“I can tell you for free that, next season; it’s going to be 150 million naira for the winner of the league.”
“Well, we spent well over a billion naira to put that season together. And in this coming season, we’re seeing ourselves spending conservatively about $5 billion, which is starting in August (August 26).”