South African broadcaster SuperSport will end its television rights deal with the Ethiopian Premier League after a five-year partnership. SuperSport and the league signed a five-year deal to showcase Ethiopian top flight games back in 2020.
SuperSport outbid Canal Plus Ethiopia to secure the TV and naming rights of the league for a reported $68 million USD. The league and clubs benefited with the financial gain but the partnership will end after the ongoing 2024/25 season.
Speaking on the matter, the league’s general manager Kifele Seyife said SuperSport have already ended its partnership. “DSTV had a rocky financial year at South Africa. They have ended the deal with us. They have already paid their last installment of the season.”
SuperSport has showcased few league games this season so far. Pan-Africa Football understands only sixty league games will be shown live on TV this season. The league and SuperSport failed to negotiate a new deal after DSTV owner Multichoice sold many of its shares to French company Canal Plus.
The league has now shifted their focus on securing a new broadcaster. National broadcaster Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation has shown interest and the league is also weighing an option to stream live games on EthioTele’s Tele TV.
The new development will put clubs in a predicament as many fear it might be the end of the league’s share company. For many decades the league was administered by the Ethiopian Football Federation until clubs formed their own company to take over management duties.
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