Clubs want TV rights dues before other deals
Super League clubs are working behind the scenes to block Super League of Malawi’s (Sulom) intention to call for bids for exclusive beaming of matches until they are paid in full their share of the 2016 season.
Sulom has opened live television beaming of matches on a game-to-game basis after Beta Television (TV) Station, which signed a K266 million three-year contract with Sulom, suspended its operations within the first year due to financial hiccups.
However, Super League clubs such as Nyasa Big Bullets, Be Forward Wanderers and Silver Strikers would first like to first receive their 2016 season’s Beta outstanding balance before any other deal comes in place. Beta owes Sulom K40 million, of which K32 million is to be shared equally among last season’s 16 top-flight league clubs.
Beta is yet to pay a single penny of the revenue, even after it was agreed, more than three months ago, that they should pay in instalments.
“We are not taking it lying down. We will push for our payment because contractual obligations must be honoured. There is no way any other station can be given a go-ahead to beam Super League games when we did not get anything from the previous deal,” said Silver Strikers general secretary Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda.
Nyirenda concurred with his Bullets counterpart Albert Chigoga and Wanderers vice-chairperson Gift Mkandawire that Sulom is not clear on what steps it is taking to make sure Beta TV pays the money to the clubs.
Chigoga said: “Sulom has not been clear to us on how they would get our money from Beta TV. We have been making a number of follow-ups on this issue but nothing tangible seems to come out. Unless, this issue is sorted out, there is no other deal that can be allowed to come in.”
He said preliminary meetings and consultations have taken place as they seek to reach out to all the 16 teams.
According to Mkandawire, before any other station gets the beaming rights, there is a need for stakeholders to first sit down and map the way forward on making sure that there are water-tight contracts in the future.
“From the look of things, it appears Sulom is also in dilemma on how it can go about the issue of getting the revenue from Beta. Nevertheless, we still need to pursue the matter and have to look at the future to see how we can formulate a water-tight contract that can clearly convince us that we are not just being used,” he said.
Sulom treasurer Tiya Somba-Banda said he would not comment anything on the matter until their contractual dispute with Beta TV is resolved at the High Court (commercial division).
“The matter is at the commercial court and I cannot make any comment at present,” he said.
When asked why they intend to invite other television stations to bid for game-to-game live beaming of matches when the contractual case with Beta TV is in court, Somba-Banda said: “Beta wrote a letter advising the nation and ourselves that we can allow other players to come in up until everything is back in order.”
However, both the clubs and Beta TV station manager Theunis Bester expressed ignorance about the matter being taken to court.
“The clubs should at least have been told that the case has been taken to court,” Chakaka-Nyirenda said.
While saying his station has not been served with any documentation or communication pertaining to the matter being taken to court, Bester said they are making an effort to pay the clubs their dues.
“I can assure you that shareholders of Beta TV are communicating everyday, trying to find short-term and long-term solutions not only to 2016 season but also 2017 season. We are also working with a few players and call me next week for more details,” he said.
“The issue of paying the clubs has not been forgotten. We did not intend for things to go the way they happened; it was just unfortunate but we are looking at various options to find something towards everyone involved.”
