By Martin Odiete, Abuja
The Nigeria Federal Government has reiterated her commitment to breaking the monopoly currently been enjoyed by South Africa based television station, SuperSports in broadcasting of the English Premiership matches in Nigeria.
SuperSports has been the only and sole broadcast right owners of the EPL matches in Nigeria which has left several Nigerian based television stations fuming over their inability to secure the right. This has led to agitations and clamor for the Nigeria Government to wade into the issue.
And speaking recently with www.theajasanews.com in Abuja, Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed noted that they have already began the process of breaking that monopoly and allow other Nigerian based television stations to broadcast the matches too.
“Our new broadcasting code is now saying that no particular person can have a monopoly of broadcasting, say the English Premier League, the Laliga and other European leagues in Nigeria. Before now, what use to happen is that it was on the strength of your financial muscles that will allow you to broadcast these league matches. Now we are trying to break that monopoly, that even if you have the right you must be ready and willing to sell to those who are ready and willing to pay for it,” the Honourable Minister of Information maintained.
You may want to recall that one Nigerian based cable television, HiTV once secured the right to broadcast the English Premier League in Nigeria but they could not renew the right when it expired because the prices was hiked beyond their reach, which then allowed SuperSports to re-hijack it.
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