The soccer fraternity should take their hats off to Supersport international for the approach in which it handled the football broadcasting rights issue. Supersport conducted itself professionally throughout the negotiations, they never got big headed and think merely about the bottom line, but, they were always willing to engage in negotiations with any of the free to air channels (sabc and E-TV) even thou the SABC was without a doubt showing disregard towards them by not willing to engage them on the rights issue, only preferring to call the PSL back to the negotiating table long after the horse has blotted. One hopes that advocate Dali Mpofu has learned a thing or two from the whole rights shenanigans and takes full responsibility for the mess which should have been avoided through applying logic.
The new deal signed last week should have been concluded long ago had it not been for the arrogance of the sabc, from the beginning it became plain as the nose on your face that the sabc must go and buy the broadcasts rights from Supersport international if they harboured any hopes of televising soccer matches to their “poor” viewers.
Now that the sabc has got hold of the broadcast rights one hopes to see all those musicians and politicians who supported the sabc in its bid to get the rights back will now serve as gatekeepers to ensure that the sabc does not renege from their promise of showing 110 games live.
