“Why we cannot continue NPFL Broadcast” – Startimes CEO drops explanation
The Chief Executive Officer of StarTimes, Joshua Wang, has confirmed that the company has ended its broadcast partnership with the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), saying the deal was no longer sustainable.
StarTimes signed a five-year agreement worth N6bn with the NPFL in 2023, but the contract has now been cancelled after only two years.
Speaking in Abuja at an NPFL event, Wang explained that the company could not continue because the business was not profitable.
“Since StarTimes became the broadcast partner of the NPFL two seasons ago, we have tried our best to meet our promises,” Wang said. “But due to economic challenges, the business has not been sustainable. Everything is business, and we do not have the capacity to continue. I also learnt that NTA has now taken over the broadcasts.”
NPFL Chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, also confirmed that the deal did not pass the two-year probation period included in the contract.
“When we signed with StarTimes, we agreed that the first two seasons would be probationary before we discussed going forward,” Elegbeleye said. “Our last match between Ikorodu City and El-Kanemi Warriors was shown live on NTA, and we will continue with them until new discussions are concluded.”
Last week, the NPFL board met with the management of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) to work on a new broadcast partnership. However, the talks have been affected by recent changes in NTA leadership. President Bola Tinubu had appointed Rotimi Pedro as Director-General on August 20, but later reversed the decision, reinstating Salihu Abdullahi Dembos to complete his tenure.
The future of NPFL broadcasts remains uncertain as the league continues its search for stable coverage.
