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African broadcasters bemoan exorbitant AFCON and World Cup TV rights

African broadcasters bemoan exorbitant AFCON and World Cup TV rights

Television

The African Media Practitioners group have requested for serious negotiations with respect to the rights of transmission of AFCON 2017 and 2019 as well as World Cups 2018 and 2022.

In a memorandum read at the end of a strategic meeting organized in Dakar, Senegal, members said after going through the draft of retransmission rights, the amounts payable had increased exponentially.

“The situation is untenable and we are working under pressure,” declared Racine Talla, the Director General of Senegalese television.

He noted that the amounts were very expensive.

He said he is of the opinion that a committee should be put in place to negotiate on behalf of the African directors of different channels on the continent.

“The objective of this decision is to contribute to the control of the rising costs of rights of retransmission of sports events and to define a common strategy to allow a maximum of national television stations to access rights of retransmission of the next edition of AFCON to lower costs,” said the Director General of the UAR, Gregory Ndjaka.

A monitoring committee was announced for the implementation of the decisions adopted by the participants at the meeting in Dakar.

In 2012, African television broadcasters had demanded a downward review of the rights fee arguing that they paid $150,000 to screen the 2010 World Cup staged in South Africa.

AGENCY