Jamaica Premier League set to explode as a brand, vows PFJ Williams
BUSINESSMAN Christopher Williams, who heads up Professional Football Jamaica (PFJ), is a man on a mission and a man with a plan to make the Jamaica Premier League into a super brand.
Speaking on television earlier this week, Williams said that the PFJ is moving away from the old tradition of a title sponsor for Jamaica’s top-flight football as they seek an infusion of cash that will transform the league into a viable financial entity. Among the things needed to make that a reality is the positioning of the league as a business opportunity, by creating a massive brand appeal.
“We are seeking to establish the title of ‘Jamaica Premier League’. The biggest brand out there is Jamaica.
“We want to establish that brand and explode that brand. We are moving away from a title sponsor, we are going with a presenting sponsor,” Williams said.
There will be different levels of sponsors for the Jamaica Premier League and Williams said that a deal for the highest level, that of presenting sponsor, could be signed soon.
“We expect to close a presenting sponsor, so I would say to you, standby. That presenting sponsor is on all jerseys. The league sponsor is also on all jerseys, so those are two top sponsors,” Wiliams said.
The amount of money required to run top-flight football is quite a sum, but according to Williams, it is within reach at the moment.
“The target of $100 million is for sponsorship income and then from that we have some expenses obviously, then the surplus will be distributed to the clubs…and we could let you know that we are halfway there.
“I got some great news [Tuesday], and I expect to have a Merry Christmas,” he said.
Williams pointed out that since there is no clear start date for the league for the 2020-2021 season, contracts have not yet been signed with the potential sponsors.
“What we have signed is a letter of understanding… and then we will graduate to a contract after we get approval, so we haven’t signed the contracts yet, because we don’t know the specific date,” he explained.
But the former Jamaica College Manning Cup player is certain of the value that the Jamaica Premier League will bring, not just only to sponsors, but also to fans.
“This is a top brand, this brand packs the National Stadium, so this is an asset that is most watched. We have the statistics, people want to watch football. We know that football is a top brand and people want to watch themselves, people want to watch their locals.
“Fans of Jamaica’s football are set to experience a level of coverage like never witnessed before.
“We’re going to be broadcasting, on cable and on streaming, at least 100 games, which is a record, and also going to be carrying on free to air at least 29 games which, also, is extremely good.
“The level of coverage for the league is extremely great. We will have a lot of football to watch and we are encouraging Jamaicans to watch,” Williams said.
The clear and obvious stumbling block at the moment, however, is approval for the resumption from the Government, and Williams added his name to a long list of people who have made an appeal for a return of the sport.
“They [sponsors] are on board when it [the league] starts. We are optimistic that we will get the approval from the Ministry of Health.
“Football is being played right across the Caribbean, we are going into a World Cup qualifiying [period], [and] we need our local-based players to be getting playing time.
“It is national interest at this time that we need to get football, the premier league back, because we all want to go to 2022 [Qatar World Cup], we cannot, not be at that World Cup. So, Mr Prime Minister and Mr Minister of Health, Miss Minister of Sports, please, this is now of national interest.”
The five entities that have already pledged their support for the league are Yummy Bakery, Wisynco, Jamaica Producers, Indies-pharma Limited and Mount Pleasant Academy, all of whom will come on board in the capacity of club sponsors.