FOOTBALL–FUFA and Sports Broadcasting Limited(SBL) have entered into a partnership that will see the later company get full rights to the Azam Uganda Premier League, Big league and the Uganda Cup.
The deal calculated to be worth $3 million will take effect on the June 1, 2018 and will run for four year, expiring on July 31, 2022.
The historic milestone in Ugandan football will enable Ugandans watch local league games from the top tier, Big league and the Uganda Cup.
Speaking at the event at Serena Hotel, the Managing Director of Sports Broadcasting Limited, Denis Mbidde applauded the Federation for installing trust in a Ugandan company.
“I would like to thank the executive of FUFA and Uganda Premier League (UPL) for having faith in a Ugandan company and giving it rights to the league,” Mbidde said.
“The world has left showing its mighty through wars and nuclear but is now concentrating on entertainment and sport. We have decided to acquire these rights to make money unlike the past companies like GTV, DSTV and Azam,” he added.
“We will be broadcasting all 240 games on TV so as all 30 games per team are viewed throughout the season. We will be communicating to the general public about the channel that we will be using to show the games,” Mbidde continued.
In February 2015, Tanzanian pay TV giants signed a 5.4 billion shillings partnership with FUFA for a duration of three and a half years but looking at the impact that has been achieved, it is fitting to say that the desired objective has not been attained so far.
It is clearly understandable that FUFA and the clubs are thrilled that a new company has come on board after Azam failed to renew their contract which expires at the end of this season.
The money that will be availed to the different entities has been broken down so that the Uganda Premier league gets $700,000, $80,000 for the big league and then $70,000 for the cup competition that is Uganda Cup.
An emotional Moses Magogo, the FUFA president, expressed his delight that football is moving forward.
“My passion has always been that Ugandan sport is out on TV. Seeing a group of Ugandans coming up to make my passion a reality is emotional. I am supposed to be in Morocco till the 5th of next month but i had to fly here and be part of history,” Magogo said.
“This is the biggest broadcasting deal in the history of sports and hope we can achieve more. I urge other partners to come on board so as we see to it that out sport grows to the levels that a can be proud of,” he added.
With the current deal enabling each of the 16 teams in the UPL get 50 million per season, clubs are expected to almost double that figure in an effort that will see them operate smoothly.
