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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) may be forced to review its television rights deal with SuperSport after some clubs reportedly wrote to the league demanding footage of their matches not broadcast by the South African company.
This comes in the wake of the PSL barring clubs from hiring individuals to film their matches for technical reviews since SuperSport has exclusive television rights to all league matches.
Under normal circumstances, SuperSport must deploy cameras at all matches and have weekly highlights, while also availing footage of any game upon request.
“Supersport must provide us with those videos whether the game would’ve been beamed live or not. They barred us from using our own private camerapersons and therefore they too must play ball otherwise we will challenge that,” said Caps United board member for marketing Alois Bunjira.
Tsholotsho owner Mandla Manyathela said it was only proper that the television company provides clubs with videos for review purposes by their technical department.
“The initial agreement in our yearly meeting was that videos that would’ve been shot by private persons on behalf of clubs must first be sent to SuperSport for assessment. Due to what’s happening now, I think we need to review this whole arrangement because we seem to be the losers here,” said Manyathela.
Dynamos secretary-general Webster Chikengezha said they will put the deal on the agenda for the PSL’s midyear meeting.
“SuperSport must cover all the eight weekend matches, give us the footage or simply allow us to have our own private camerapersons. We will raise this during the midyear meeting because it’s not fair to us as clubs,” said Chikengezha.
Highlanders are believed to have written to the league demanding video footage of their matches against Tsholotsho, Chapungu, Bulawayo City and Hwange.
All the matches were not beamed live and the club’s private cameraman Thandazani Zimbwa did not record the games as he was banned during the Tsholotsho match that Bosso won 2-1.
SuperSport communications manager Clinton van der Berg recently told Chronicle Sport that the issue was under discussion.
Online Reporter