Premier League has extended the contract with Supersport. The new deal will allow Supersport to broadcast games of the English league in the Sub-Saharan African region until 2025. The previous deal was set to expire in 2022.
Considering the effects of the pandemic on the broadcast revenue, it is a smart move from the PL to get the deals negotiated to get financial security during the uncertain economical situation. The broadcasters may also benefit from new terms as it will provide them access to the biggest European football league for a longer time.
Paul Molnar, Premier League Director of Broadcasting, insisted that the extension of this deal shows the faith of PL in Supersport for delivering innovative content to Premier League fans in Africa. He also admitted that PL is looking forward to working with the African broadcaster for many years to come.
Earlier this year, PL had decided to terminate the deal with PPTV for digital streaming rights in China after the broadcasting company did not make the first payment of the deal. The English league eventually managed to negotiate a deal with Tencent Sports in China after the start of the new Premier League campaign in September.
Premier League clubs are still reeling from the losses due to the pandemic. The fans are yet to return to the stadium as the UK goes into a second lockdown before Christmas. Despite the lockdown, the games in Premier League are set to continue in November as players stay in the bio bubbles.
The matchday revenue is unlikely to be revived anytime soon, so the clubs will rely on broadcast and sponsorship revenue. In such a scenario, PL will have to broker long term deals with broadcasting companies across the globe to make sure the clubs have some sort of financial support during the pandemic.