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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation will have to fork out an exorbitant amount of 1.6 million euros (about $1.8 million) to broadcast matches from next year’s Africa Cup of Nations Cup in Gabon.A Paris based agency, Lagardere Sports, have pegged the fee for all the Nations Cup-participating countries at about $1.8 million.
The huge costs, it is feared, could make it difficult for the national broadcaster to bring the Warriors games to the local fans who can’t afford to pay for packages offered by SuperSport.
It has emerged that ZBC, together with other African countries that form the Africa Union of Broadcasting, have been making frantic efforts since May to have the French company reduce the amount they are demanding.
Last week, ZBC acting chief executive Patrick Mavhura was in Senegal for another AUB meeting to try and map the way forward after the French company refused to reduce the rights fees.
AUB, which has 50 member organisations, then resolved to re-engage Lagardere.
A strong team was again sent to Paris for the talks to the firm.
Yesterday, Mavhura told The Herald they were confident that come January 14, they should be able to screen live on Zimbabwe television, the tournament which runs up to February 5.
“Actually the official position is that it is not true that we will not be able to broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations,” he said.
“The issue that we have is that Lagardere, the exclusive owners of the AFCON rights based in France, has continued to increase the rights fee to the extent that for this AFCON they are charging countries in Category A, 1, 6 million euros for them to broadcast the matches.
“Category A is for countries that have qualified for AFCON and we, Zimbabwe, are in that category.
“Given this huge amount of money, AUB, took this initiative and said let’s engage the owner because we cannot afford this amount.
“After a meeting on May 27, a resolution was passed to send a delegation of four countries — Senegal, Cameroon, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo — who are negotiating on everyone’s behalf.
“They had a meeting on September 23, however, that meeting reached a deadlock with the rights owners refusing to reduce the broadcasting fees.
“So by 20 November we will have feedback pertaining the outcome of the second engagement with Lagardere.”
However, the ZBC boss said they were also looking other options in case that this second meeting doesn’t yield anything.
“But as a broadcaster, we are pursuing two other options,” he said.
“The worst case scenario is that should they refuse to reduce, we look for sponsorship. Our marketing team as we speak are already on the ground looking for sponsorship.
“The second option, which of course is coming from the fact that negotiations might not be successful, other right owners may be able to give us.
“Lagardere, have exclusive rights, but they can sell to another company which can have a relationship with ZBC, so in that scenario that’s where you see us screening matches with that company logo in a corner on the screen.”
Mavhura said it is still possible that they can secure a sponsorship for such a hefty bill and recoup the costs through advertising.
“We can break even.
“But it would be premature to start saying ZBC we will not be able to broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations.
“Efforts are underway to broadcast the games live given Zimbabwe qualified,” said Mavhura.
Online Reporter