The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has refuted claims that it rejected an $11 million sponsorship offer, stating that the partnership with StarTimes was the best deal secured after years without a television broadcast partner.
NPFL board Chairman, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, responded to a publication suggesting the league declined a substantial offer from an unidentified source. He clarified that when the Interim Management Committee (IMC) took over, “there was not a single sponsorship for the league,” and they later “got an investment partner in GTI that guaranteed N1billion for the season.”
Elegbeleye emphasized the importance of securing television broadcast rights, highlighting that the NPFL’s last effective partnership with SuperSport “was terminated in 2016.” He stated, “Thereafter the league went on without proper broadcast partner until we signed Propel Sports Africa for streaming and shortly after, StarTimes for Direct to Home Satellite broadcast.”
He stressed that these deals “were not signed overnight but took painstaking negotiations that lasted for months because we wanted to make sure it was the right thing to do.”
According to ELegbeleye, the NPFL actively sought sponsorships, “We spent time and personal resources travelling to court Corporate Nigeria to sponsor the league with our investment partners, GTI and we invested in efforts to rebrand the league. A consultant was hired for venue branding which offers in-stadium exposure to our potential sponsors and a website was also built for viral exposure. So, where was this phantom $11m dollar briefcase offer all the time?”
Elegbeleye questioned the validity of the $11 million claim, stating that the IMC actively pursued SuperSport’s return to the league, culminating in their broadcast of the 2022/23 Super 6 Playoff. He warned against individuals using controversy for personal gain and reiterated the NPFL’s openness to partnerships from credible sports marketing companies.
The NPFL’s partnership with GTI guarantees N10 billion over ten years which is meant to provide funding for league operations, including match officials’ payments and prize money.
