Row over rights to televise Bafana games

SIMMERING tension between payTV newcomers Siyaya TV and the SABC is threatening to boil over as the two broadcasters battle over who has the right to televise Bafana Bafana matches.

Siyaya TV founder Aubrey Tau yesterday lifted the lid on a bubbling cauldron of animosity between the broadcasters, accusing SABC chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng of being reckless.

Motsoeneng roused the ire of the Siyaya boss when he said on SABC 2’s Morning Live yesterday that he had reached a three-year agreement with the SA Football Association (Safa) to televise matches of all the national teams.

Tau said he was stunned as he watched the television show. He threatened to sue the SABC if the public broadcaster televised the 2016 Olympic qualifier between Banyana Banyana and Gabon on Sunday.

Siyaya owns the rights to all of South Africa’s national teams after signing a six-year broadcast deal worth more than R1-billion with Safa a few months ago.

“It is surprising that a big corporation like the SABC is being run by somebody who talks as if he has smoked [the drug] nyaope, with no respect,” an irate Tau said.

‘‘He just talks. Siyaya won’t be trampled on.”

The pay-TV newcomers were issued a licence by the Independent Communications Authority of SA in November and are only expected to go on air in October.

Siyaya secured free-to-air, payTV, mobile and internet rights to the national teams for six years.

The SABC’s Kaizer Kganyago said the broadcaster’s agreement with Safa had nothing to do with Siyaya and that Sunday’s match would be televised.