SABC requests PSL to extend tender process for league's media rights

A request from the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has forced the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to extend the tender process for the media rights in Sub-saharan Africa for the seasons from 2019 to 2024‚ the league's chairman Irvin Khoza revealed after the conclusion of the league’s annual general meeting in Sandton‚ Johannesburg on Wednesday.

The PSL put out the tender at the beginning of November‚ indicating that its invitation to tender notice would be closed on November 10.

But Khoza said the SABC requested a week or more in order to finalise the submission of their application.

“We briefed the members of PSL about the broadcasting rights which were supposed to be finalized today but we’ve had to extend the deadline until Friday‚" he said.

“This was prompted by SABC asking for an extra week because of the appointment of its new board. We gave them that extension to make sure that they get the equal chance.

“But what was also unique was that this time around we got applications from Vodacom‚ Telkom and Kwese Sports.

"So it will be quite interesting to see what will be the outcome of these bids.”

The PSL broadcasting rights cover TV‚ IPTV‚ internet and mobile transmissions for the league's competitions.

Khoza said they would know more about the details and intentions of the applicants once the negotiations with the preferred bidders are underway.

Although the process is expected to be concluded before the end of the year‚ Khoza did not disclose the exact date of the announcement of the winning bid.

SuperSport International is once again expected to win these rights after first getting them with their R1.6 billion bid ten years ago.

The Randburg-based commercial broadcaster still holds the five year rights‚ worth R2.2 billion‚ which expire at the end of the 2017/18 season.

The SABC is currently sub-licensing but Khoza indicated that this time around they seem keen to get more of a slice even though the likelihood of that remains in doubt with all the financial problems the public broadcaster is reportedly facing.