IMC continues inspection of SME Sportz facility as new NPFL season inches closer

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The Interim Management Company (IMC) of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) continued its inspection of facilities at Stream Media Entertainment (SME Sportz), one of the companies that may be saddled with the right to broadcast the 2022/2023 league season.

The broadcast company is making final preparations for the start of the new season, and The Athletic NG has learned that IMC officials, including the Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye, Vice Chairman Elder Paul Bassey, and Head of Operations Prince Davidson Owumi, were shown around the facility on Monday, December 5, 2022 in Uyo.

This is the second visit of the IMC officials to SME Sportz within the last month and The Athletic NG understands the indigenous company are in a good position to secure a deal as one of the broadcasters to cover the NPFL.

The Athletic NG reported in November that the IMC were in contact with SME Sportz and recent moves and inspection of facilities has made a possibility of an agreement a reality.

Meanwhile, sources close to the league management body and the broadcasting company told The Athletic NG that SME will receive top government officials from the Nigeria Football Federation in what may be a breakthrough inspection of facilities in Uyo on Thursday.

Stream Media Entertainment is a pan-African media company that provides online streaming platform services and a wide variety of sports and entertainment contents that are creatively scripted, purposefully produced and intentionally delivered.

The company is the official broadcast partner of Nigeria National League side, Vandrezzer FC since 2020 and is responsible for the coverage of the club’s matches including pre and post match ceremonies during home matches.

The high-tech entertainment outfit covered the 2021 Lagos State FA Cup which Vandrezzer FC emerged champions.

Last month, Elegbeleye after a meeting with NPFL club owners in Abuja, confirmed the league will resume before the end of this year and insisted on a reliable TV broadcast.

“The IMC and the club chairmen had a meeting and discussed critical issues affecting the football league such as the commencement of the league, club licensing, facilities of stadium.

“We won’t accept a stadium that is not television friendly as we want to put our league on television and let the whole world see Nigerian league and our players exposed to the world.

“We can’t reveal the date as we need to communicate with the NFF and we have agreed on the league format.

“We are starting the league this year definitely. We are on the same page with club chairmen as we want the best for Nigeria.

“They agreed that the league is not good enough and needs rebranding.

“We assure Nigerians that the incoming league will be better than previous ones. This season will be on TV, you can take it to the bank,” he said.

The IMC proposed December 18, 2022 as the kickoff date of the new NPFL season, but are waiting on the approval of the NFF.

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Copyright 2021 @ The Athletic NG. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to https://www.theathletic.com.ng/ as the source.