SuperSport International could be forced to up its stake in order to retain the Premier Soccer League (PSL) TV rights for the 2019 to 2024 football seasons, with mobile communications giant Vodacom emerging as the potential competitor.
Vodacom spokesman Byron Kennedy did not deny nor confirm their bid for the TV rights but after the league's annual general meeting last week, PSL chairman Irvin Khoza mentioned Vodacom as one of those bidding.
"We continuously evaluate a range of opportunities and partnerships and would announce these to the market at an appropriate time," said Kennedy.
"Vodacom has established a dedicated acceleration unit to drive the uptake and delivery of digital products and services for each of our targeted customer segments."The Premier Soccer League TV rights cover TV, IPTV, internet and mobile transmissions, an area where Vodacom is believed to be aiming when talking about its "delivery of digital products and services for each of our targeted customer segments".
Telkom was another telecommunications provider disclosed by Khoza as bidding for the TV rights for the first time.
But Telkom spokesman Gugulethu Maqetuka this week said they were not vying for these rights.
"We don't know where that came from because as far as we know we are not bidding," said Maqetuka.
However, a reliable source within the PSL told the Sunday Times that there will be no company in this kind of competition which would declare its interests at this early stage of bidding...