The partnership between Uganda Premier League and StarTimes could be living on the edge as the Chinese Pay-TV operator is faced with a risk of winding up for failure to clear a debt of USD $11million.
Reports indicate StarTimes Media has failed to pay for sports rights to the BeIn Media Group in connection to broadcasting French football Ligue1.
The deal signed in 2018 and running up to 2024 would give rights to StarTimes to broadcast French League 1 games in Sub Saharan Africa.
However, failure to pay as agreed forced BeIn Media Group to run to court in Hong Kong where StarTimes agreed to a monthly payment plan. This has also been defaulted, including the first installment which was due on October 1. According to GlobalData Sport, StarTimes is as at present owing USD $11million.
Despite going through several arbitration levels, the Chinese Pay-TV has failed to fulfill their commitment citing a challenging economic period in Africa due to the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
It is on that note that BeIn Media Group has moved to petition Court asking for a wind-up of StarTimes unless it pays its debt.
It should be noted that in August 2018, FUFA and StarTimes agreed to a ten-year deal worth USD 7.24 million (26,680,848,000 UGX) starting with the 2018-19 season for naming and broadcasting rights of the Uganda Premier League and the FUFA Big League.
However, one and half years down the road, there have already been concerns about the deal with the PAY TV failing to fulfill on a number of items and the prevailing circumstances could be pointing to an end.
Key among those is the number of games broadcast live or even recorded and FUFA President Moses Magogo in a monthly breakfast meeting with Uganda Premier League Chairpersons last month at Imperial Royale Hotel asked for better from the broadcasters.
“We need to examine their performance so far and agree on certain things. We cannot continue to operate the same way yet we want more coverage of the games. We had agreed that besides the live games, other games would be recorded but this has not happened,” he said.
A club official who preferred anonymity told this website that there has not been any payment made as far as the 2020-21 season is concerned.
“We have not received any money in as far as this season is concerned. Last week, they sent us about four million shillings which was the last and final batch of the 4th quarter of last season,” intimated the Club CEO.
Another Club administrator confirmed the above concern and indicated there will be a meeting between StarTimes, FUFA, Uganda Premier League board, and the clubs for an update.
“We have a tripartite meeting this Wednesday between UPL Board/FUFA, StarTimes, and Clubs to finalize the arrangements for the release of first Quarter Sponsorship monies. We hope this will be effected.”
It should be noted that after the Breakfast meeting, FUFA top brass, StarTimes, and the League board had a brief meeting but the outcomes remain scanty.
