SAFA and SABC rights deal in jeopardy?

Talks between SABC and SAFA over a new broadcast deal have hit a snag according to Siya sources.

It’s well-documented that during the agreement struck in October 2019 stretching for four years, the public broadcaster paid the country’s football mother body around R25 million a year during that period.

Former SAFA CEO Tebogo Motlanthe had told the media in April during the ordinary congress, before he quit his post, that the federation was unhappy with this arrangement, but would not be “serving the SABC with divorce papers”.

With the association reporting a loss of R2.9 million for the financial year ending 2022, the chief executive put it down to poor revenue stream and cited the television rights deal as a big part of being in the red.

SABC have been able to exclusively beam all of Bafana’s matches as well as those of Banyana Banyana and the junior national teams, but changes with CAF on how television rights are packaged now threatens the relationship.

The public broadcaster, through its relationship with the continental mother body, are understood to be in a position to negotiate crucial qualifiers for major tournaments such as the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup at a reasonable rate and might no longer feel the need to enter into discussions with SAFA.

It’s understood further details of what the new deal would look like are currently what is delaying talks and, as things stand, the two parties haven’t yet found common ground even though their four-year agreement lapsed in September.

SABC have, however, been able to broadcast all of the national team matches in October and November even though a long-term deal hasn’t yet been entered into by the two organizations.