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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Premier Soccer League (PSL) could have negotiated a flawed deal in selling television rights to giant South African broadcaster SuperSport in 2011, as the package strangely excludes weekly highlights that are fundamental in other agreements on the continent. Worse still, the television rights don’t seem to compel SuperSport to have at least a camera at every league match despite private individuals, including clubs, being barred from filming non-live games resulting in friction between the PSL, SuperSport and the clubs.

Clubs argue that they are forced to contract private individuals to film their games for technical purposes since SuperSport would not have captured the matches, making it difficult to rectify mistakes as there would be nowhere else to request a recording of the matches.

According to the PSL, SuperSport paid $2 million for the right to broadcast some live matches over a period of five years, although it doesn’t specify how many live matches the South African-based free-to-air channel would beam in a season.

Compared to other African leagues where SuperSport also holds exclusive television rights, the Zimbabwean PSL deal is worth the least. Each club gets $11,700 in the first half of the season and another $11,700 in the second half.

However, SuperSport has a R2 billion (about $134 million) five-year deal with the Absa PSL in South Africa under which each of the 16 clubs get a share of just over $2 million per annum. In Zambia, the deal is worth $5 million over a five-year period and clubs there each get about $30,000 per year, while the Kenyan package is worth $10 million. Nigeria’s League Management Company (LMC) penned a massive $34 million deal and all these include weekly highlights of all matches played in the respective leagues.

PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele could not say why the local deal doesn’t include a weekly highlights package and why private cameras are banned when SuperSport is not obliged to have at least a camera at every league match.

“As far as I’m concerned, no one has been approved to film PSL matches,” said Ndebele.

However, Dynamos, Caps United and FC Platinum all confirmed that they have their own private cameras to film their matches not broadcast live by SuperSport and insisted that they were given permission by the PSL.

“We’ve our own guy, but we got clearance from PSL,” said Dynamos secretary-general Webster Chikengezha yesterday.

Caps United board member for marketing Alois Bunjira and FC Platinum spokesperson Chido Chizondo also echoed similar sentiments, but Ndebele was adamant no one had been cleared to film league matches and warned that they’ll call in the police should this trend continue.

“If they (the three clubs) are doing it, then it’s illegal. We will write to the police and ask them to confiscate their (cameramen’s) equipment,” said Ndebele.

Two weeks ago, former ZBC cameraman Thandazani Zimbwa was involved in a scuffle with PSL officials and the police while filming the league match between Tsholotsho and Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium. Zimbwa had been contracted by Highlanders to film the game for use by the club’s technical team, but he was forced to stop filming and told to seek approval from SuperSport to film any match.

Zimbwa subsequently wrote to SuperSport seeking clearance to film matches not being broadcast live, but Ndebele revealed yesterday that the request had been rejected.

SuperSport communications manager Clinton van der Berg told Chronicle Sport from Johannesburg yesterday that they sometimes barred private camerapersons, especially when they felt their rights were being infringed.

“From time to time this does happen at all sorts of broadcasts on the continent. As a rule, SuperSport only acts when its rights are infringed upon,” van der Berg said.

However, when asked how SuperSport’s rights were being infringed on when a match is not being broadcast live and there were no cameras from the broadcaster, van der Berg said the issue was still under discussion.

“This very matter is up for discussion at the moment. When there’s clarity, I will let you know right away. Please be patient,” he said.