It came from nowhere: market forces are working, not sub-par regulations. Yes, Silverbird Television has signed on to broadcast selected live English Premier League matches over the course of the 2020 – 2021 season. This deal was agreed with Integral, the current free-to-air rights holder for the Premier League matches in Nigeria. Sure, it is just one match per week. But that is an innovator dilemma’s moment for DStv and GOtv. If Integral drops one more for NTA, then you have two matches per week. Then, give AIT one, you have three matches, and just like that, equilibrium is attained and katakata will bust for DStv.
I have also been informed that TStv is coming back as it would key into this Integral license. It looks like a good playbook but we will see how it would all play out. My call is that MutiChoice has a really big problem on its hands. I expect pay per view to be available in the next coming months because its moat has been cracked and Integral is going for the castle. Game on, lovers of sports.
Press Release
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 16 (Feb 10 – May 3, 2025) opens registrations; register today for early bird discounts.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
One of Nigeria’s most entertaining TV stations, Silverbird Television has signed on to broadcast one live English Premier League match per week over the course of the 2020 – 2021 season. This deal was agreed with Integral, the current free-to-air rights holder for the Premier League matches in Nigeria.
Integral secured its rights in a sub-license deal from the Infront Sports & Media agency, the substantive rights holder for free-to-air distribution rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Integral currently has a similar deal with national broadcaster, NTA and will now be adding Silverbird TV as an additional broadcaster partner. Silverbird will air one of the 3pm fixtures each Saturday on its free-to-air channel while it will also show a handful of Premier League produced magazine programmes weekly. STV can be viewed terrestrially on StarTimes Channel 109 and UHF 23.
Abimbola Ilo, the managing director of Integral said “We are once again pleased to be bringing the excitement of the English Premier League closer to its fans in Nigeria. Silverbird is an entertaining television station watched by millions of Nigerians and it’s only right that the most entertaining football league in the world is added to its roster. With the Premier League’s popularity in Nigeria, this is yet another opportunity for its passionate fans to get exciting up to date content on free-to-air TV”
Bola Salako, the Chief Operating Officer of Silverbird Communications added: “We at Silverbird are excited at the opportunity to avail our numerous viewers across Nigeria with select premium football matches from the most exciting league in the world – The English Premier League. Silverbird Television is primarily a family entertainment-oriented channel, and it is quintessential for us to ensure that our viewers get the best of every appropriate programming genre. Sports is a major part of our content offering and football in particular as the acclaimed ‘king of sports’ holds particular appeal to a large section of our target demographic. And with the new Premier League season on the horizon we are looking forward to team up with Integral on this exciting new project of bringing premium sporting content to mass numbers of Nigerian viewers.”
---
Register for Tekedia Mini-MBA (Feb 10 - May 3, 2025), and join Prof Ndubuisi Ekekwe and our global faculty; click here.
Football is like religion, you don’t just leave your house and enter any church close by, you still need to go to your own church. If the channel is showing Liverpool vs Watford, do you really think Arsenal or Chelsea fan will just change mind and settle for that one? He still wants to watch his own team!
Showing one match per week can’t be a threat to MultiChoice’s dominance, we have seen this similar deal involving NTA for many years now, but it never shifted the lure of DSTv, there’s a reason for that…
As for TsTv coming back, if they are pinning their future on a deal for free-to-air match, then the second death is still on the horizon, because you cannot build sustainable business with this kind of deal, the contents won’t be rich enough to keep you in business for a calendar year; this is not a business strategy.
In the meantime, MultiChoice doesn’t have any serious problem, certainly not from these flurry of press releases; they are not good enough.
What makes MultiChoice Nigeria tick hasn’t been touched yet, these ones are just small mosquito bites.
This is statement of universal sef interest, for the fact u own key of all premier league matches,does mean that this,apathy and evil act can’t break. Nothing last for ever.
It is very funny. The only reason why the free to air is working is because TV and EPL agreed to show the first 28 matches in september free. After that, they either continue or change their mind.
Even if they give Silverbird, it will be the same thing they give NTA. This weekend West Ham game will be shown by NTA
If MultiChoice would have any issue, it’ll be because of the rise in cord cutters. It is getting increasingly cheaper to stream matched online, giving streamers even more latitude of choice as ALL matches are available online including ones not available on DSTV or only available on premium bouquet. This is not to mention the cut nevers. Thinking about this, the future of cable TV is bleak. To me, personally, as a family man, I still maintain my sub on DSTV because of my family and nothing else as I watch all my games online either on my laptop or my mobile.
Can I have the streaming platforms so I can also watch online. Thank you.
Please which platform are you watching online
Does online data cost not make it more reasonable to hang on to DStv subscription, bearing in mind, the poor network services from the internet service providers, which makes streaming very stressful? Please explain from your experience, how much better it is, for streaming, in place of subscription.
This shows NBC Code provision on exclusivity is needless. It’s a free market and any operator can bid for rights to the EPL
Does online data cost not make it more reasonable to hang on to DStv subscription, bearing in mind, the poor network services from the internet service providers, which makes streaming very stressful? Please explain from your experience, how much better it is, for streaming, in place of subscription.
One match per week? How will that even affect MultiChoice? You won’t get the top games, of course. You will have Watford/Villa, WBA/Brighton et al
We once had one game per week on NTA and some other local stations and MultiChoice didn’t sneeze let alone cough
Other providers should bid in the next bidding round. It’s a free market. Let’s see them compete rather than rely on NBC Code
No need let NBC continue with them. DSTV that has not been able to reconcile payments made for close to two months. They keep calling without solutions. They don’t need competition they need to be ejected out of the Nigerian market.
Our govt should live up to their responsibility and protect Nigerians from Multichoice exploitation. This cannot happen in civilised clime even in S/africa their headquarters. Encouragement should go to the tv stations that are beginning this fight.
I’m already looking for alternative for DSTV as I see no reason paying for high subscription and going to game house to watch football with friends.
It would be fair enough to have a healthy competition with regards to sports viewing. I seriously hope our government would do something about it. Multichoice cannot have monopoly.
Anyways, while we are on this, give me a buzz for the best practices to develop a healthy feeding pattern. Learn what you can indulge in while you watch your team entertain you
NBC is a suspect in MultiChoice exploitative actions against Nigeria viewers. The Nigeria government had signed anti monopoly bill into law. So, why is it yet possible for the DStv to be milking millions of Nigerians dry unchecked? How reasonable is it that viewers who subscribed, say three months ahead of DStv upward price adjustment backdated surcharge to affect such advance subscription. In other words if you paid GOtv?1,900 for example from March to June, when price is reviewed upward to ?2,465 in July, the difference of ?565 is backdated from March to June that’s multiplied by three months, then your account is debited ?1,695 for instance, and if paid one year advance, the difference is multiplied by twelve. Where in the world is such acceptable?
NBC should be investigated for allowing such malpractice go on and on, unchallenged.
If u av a browsing phone that can connects a 4G network, then u a free from DSTV. There’s a decoder now that can stream all matches live and stable with 4G network. Interested person should call me up on 08069177565
Mind you Multi Choice does not in any way exploit Nigerians, our leaders does.They goes to the contract agreement table with personal interest at heart.