The SA Football Association (Safa) has signed a ground-breaking R1 billion broadcasting deal with Siyaya TV.
Just as with SuperSport signed a R1.6 billion deal with the Premier Soccer League, this development leaves public broadcaster the SABC out in the cold, since it will have to buy the rights from Siyaya or SuperSports if it wants a slice of Bafana Bafana’s Action again.
The deal gives Siyaya TV the rights to broadcast all Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana matches, including friendlies, as well as games involving all the junior national teams.
In return, the football body will help the consortium secure more events from Fifa, the Confederation of African Football and the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa).
Siyaya TV is expected to go live next year June, and the deal kicks in on May 1 next year because the SABC agreement lapses at the end of April 2015.
The six-year partnership will see Safa bag R175 million per annum, a significant jump from the R17 million it was getting from the SABC and the R25 million it received from SuperSport.
Safa has already been paid R25 million by Siyaya.
Siyaya TV is a 100% black-owned consortium in which the rural North West community of Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela owns a 40% stake, And Former Post Office CEO Vuyo Mahlati is the chairperson and former SABC 2 general manager Thandi Ramathesele the CEO.
