MTN ends speculation over PSL sponsorship
PREMIER Soccer League (PSL) chairman Irvin Khoza revealed yesterday that the league will most likely retain all its sponsors after mobile operator MTN ended weeks of speculation and extended their financial backing of the season-opening MTN8 tournament yesterday.
Khoza said the mobile operator signed a three-year contract, with an option for an additional two years, and insisted that the PSL never feared that MTN would not extend its association with the league.
“The league made its proposal in May and they (MTN) came back to us in June,” he said.
Khoza said a decision was taken by the two parties to delay making the announcement until after the recent Carling Black Label Cup — the preseason match featuring Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates — and the Manchester United tour to SA had been completed.
MTN chief marketing officer Serame Taukobong concurred and said contracts were all signed in June and there was never any doubt that MTN would not extend a relationship that began in 2008.
“They (the PSL) allowed us to let the noise of the other tournaments die down so that we could be indeed the last man standing,” Taukobong said. “From a marketing perspective, we wanted to find a slot that would allow the tournament to stand on its own. So it really was an issue of marketing timing as opposed to contractual issues.”
The contracts of the PSL’s other sponsors — Absa, Nedbank and Telkom — also expire this year but Khoza said there was nothing to worry about. Absa has been the main sponsor of the league since its R500m sponsorship in 2007.
Khoza said it was “very important” to retain the banking group as the two parties have enjoyed a fulfilling relationship over the past five years.
It was initially feared that Absa might not be able to meet the PSL’s asking price because of uncertainty and the jittery global economy.
But the PSL chairman said they were mindful of the uncertainty in the markets and would not disregard the concerns experienced around the world.