SABC inks deal for UK fixtures
Embattled broadcaster may fail to screen Bafana matches after pay row
Jaws dropped on Tuesday after the cash-strapped SABC announced that it would start broadcasting live matches of the English Premier League on Saturday afternoons.
The announcement came just hours after the SABC board told parliament that the public broadcaster is in an awful financial state and unable to meet certain obligations.
Briefing the portfolio committee on sports in parliament on Tuesday‚ the SABC board chairman Bongumusa Makhathini revealed that projections for the end of August are that the national broadcaster will only have R26-million in the bank while it owes creditors a staggering R694-million.
Newly-appointed SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu defended the decision and said the decision to broadcast English Premier League matches is actually aimed at turning the national broadcaster around.
“I can’t talk to you about the financials and how much the deal cost at this point in time because I have not had an opportunity to familiarise myself with it‚ but I will in the coming days‚” Momodu told the Daily Dispatch on Tuesday.
“We’re turning the corner now and we’ve got a leadership that has got integrity and one that puts the interest of the public and the organisation first.”
Momodu‚ who replaced Kaizer Kganyago as spokesperson last week‚ also added that the SABC has subcontracted the rights to show the live English Premier League matches to Kwese Sports.
“From an integrity point of view‚ I can assure you that whatever that has been entered into with Kwese is in line with corporate governance and also bearing in mind the dire financial situation we find ourselves in.
“We put measures in place to make sure that people that sign relevant documents internally are not going to go against the prescribes and what the board said is fine to do and not to do.”
The SABC’s announcement comes just days after it emerged that Bafana Bafana’s next official games may not be broadcast as a result of the cash crisis at Auckland Park.
Safa revealed that the public broadcaster‚ which reported a net loss of almost R1bn in the 2016-2017 financial year‚ has failed to honour its financial obligations for several months and owes the football body more than R50m.
Momodu said the SABC is in talks with relevant parties to ensure that national team matches are beamed live on the national broadcaster’s platforms.
“The SABC is engaging with a number of partners including Safa and the PSL‚” she said.
“Conversations with Safa are ongoing and once there is an agreement to be reached the public will be first to know.” –