StarTimes admit interest in KPL broadcast deal
Pay TV operator StarTimes have said they are “monitoring” the current impasse on the Kenyan Premier League in the wake of Supersport’s abrupt cancellation of its broadcast rights deal with the Kenyan Premier League Limited.
The Supersports deal is estimated to be worth Sh300 million per year.
Speaking on Wednesday, StarTimes public relations manager Alex Mwaura heaped praise on the Kenyan league, referring to it as a “good product”.
He spoke at an event where the TV operator announced it had acquired rights to broadcast all 64 games of next year’s Fifa World Cup in Russia.
YET TO BE APPROACHED
Mr Mwaura also confirmed that the Chinese owned company had yet to be formally approached by both Football Kenya Federation and the Kenyan Premier League.
“I am informed there are ongoing talks between FKF and them (Supersport). We are monitoring that situation. The KPL is a good product but nobody has approached us for discussions.” said Mwaura.
StarTimes last year forked out Sh1.7 billion to acquire exclusive rights to broadcast the Ghana top flight league over the next ten years.
BREAKTHROUGH
Speaking at the same function, StarTimes Kenya vice president Mark Lisboa added: “We are delighted to secure the broadcast rights to the 2018 World Cup, a tournament that every soccer fan across the globe looks forward to every four years. The fact that StarTimes will bring this showpiece to Kenyan household is a great breakthrough as it demonstrates our progressive commitment.”
StarTimes has additionally acquired broadcast rights for among other, the FIFA U-20 World Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.