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StarTimes CEO confirms termination of NPFL Broadcast Deal
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
The Chief Executive Officer of StarTimes Nigeria, Joshua Wang, has confirmed the cancellation of the pay-TV company’s broadcast deal with the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), citing poor business returns as the major reason behind the split.
StarTimes and the NPFL had signed a five-year deal worth ₦6bn in 2023, but the agreement has been cut short after just two years.
Speaking in Abuja during an NPFL event, Wang admitted the partnership failed to deliver the expected returns.
“Since StarTimes has been the broadcast partners of the NPFL during the past two seasons, we have tried to meet our promises to promote and broadcast the NPFL,” Wang said.
“But unfortunately, because of economic issues, we are not making it as a business partner for the pay-TV business to be sustainable. Everything is business; we don’t have the capability to continue. I also heard last week that our partners NTA have taken over the broadcast.”
NPFL Chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, also confirmed that the deal failed to survive its two-year probationary period.
“Signing with StarTimes at that time, we said that the first two seasons are probatory. After that, we would discuss again on how to go further,” Elegbeleye explained.
“Our last match in Lagos between Ikorodu City and El-Kanemi Warriors was live on NTA. We will still be going ahead with that until we finish the current discussion regarding the broadcast.”
Last week, the NPFL board met with the management of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) to secure a fresh broadcast partnership.
However, the talks have been complicated by the reshuffling of NTA leadership.
President Bola Tinubu had appointed Rotimi Pedro as the new Director-General of the NTA on August 20, but the decision was reversed, reinstating Salihu Abdullahi Dembos to complete his three-year tenure.
The uncertainty over NTA’s leadership has now cast doubt on the NPFL’s immediate broadcast future.
