Players and coaches in the Nigeria Premier Football League say the impact of live television broadcast of matches in the league is immeasurable as the 2023/24 season nears its end, Sunday PRIMANEWS reports.
The NPFL is broadcast live on Beta Sports channel 244 on match days.
Before the start of the current season, the NPFL board signed a five-year deal worth N6bn with StarTimes to bring the country’s elite league back on television, with the match-day eight game between Akwa United and Remo Stars at the Eket Township Stadium on Sunday November 19 being the first game to be televised.
The number of live matches was then increased from two to four in February. This is in addition to streaming services offered by Propel Sports Africa at all match venues.
Plateau United captain, Daniel Itodo, who has played in the league during the TV broadcast blackout from 2017, noted that live broadcast has aided desirable results for teams.
“First of all, it helps in showcasing the players that we have in the league. More importantly, the quality of football we play is shown to the whole world and it helps to keep everything that can mar the game in check,” Itodo said.
Bendel Insurance defender, Ebuka Akobundu, also described the era of TV blackout in the league as demoralising.
“There used to be a lot of controversies back then. Coming out to play and knowing anything in the stadium can’t be seen by the world, you don’t even feel like a professional.
“So, internationally, it has helped us to stay relevant and scouts now know where to turn to if they need to watch a player in the league.”
In 2017, former MFM player Sikiru Olatunbosun won the CNN Goal of The Week for his screamer against Enugu Rangers during a night league game at the Agege Township Stadium in Lagos.
He bagged 82 per cent of the votes to beat the likes of Radja Nainggolan, then of Roma and Youri Tielemans, then of Anderlecht.
Former MFM coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, who is now in charge of leaders Enugu Rangers, said more of such displays would be made possible with the established StarTimes TV broadcast rights deal.
“I think it’s going to be a good thing if we have almost every game on TV. We started with one and we have three to four. It’s a sign of progress. We score beautiful goals in the league that need to be seen and I believe it will help us, like it did for Olatunbosun in 2017,” Ilechukwu said.
“There’s a lot of advantage because it’s bringing the league to limelight and it will solve 70 per cent of the challenges we face on match days from security to officiating,” the coach added.
