Joshua Wang, the CEO of StarTimes, has spoken out on the recent termination of the company’s broadcast agreement with the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), confirming The PUNCH’s earlier report on why the partnership ended.
The five-year contract, valued at N6 billion and signed in 2023 between StarTimes and the NPFL, has been dissolved after just two years, bringing their collaboration to an early close.
According to information gathered by The PUNCH, StarTimes chose to withdraw as the NPFL’s official broadcast partner due to disappointing returns on their investment. The low uptake of their decoders and broadcasting services in Nigeria was a major contributing factor.
Wang addressed the situation at a recent NPFL event in Abuja, reiterating the reasons behind StarTimes’ exit.
“During our two seasons as NPFL’s official broadcast partner, StarTimes made every effort to deliver on our promises and showcase the league,” Wang explained.
“Unfortunately, the economic challenges have made it difficult to sustain our business model in this market. As a company, we are unable to continue in this partnership. I also heard last week that our former partner, NTA, has taken over the league’s broadcast.”
NPFL chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye provided further context, noting that the original five-year contract included a two-year probation period for both parties.
“When we signed with StarTimes, both sides agreed that the first two seasons would serve as a trial period, after which we would review and decide on the future,” Elegbeleye explained.
“For our most recent fixture in Lagos between Ikorodu City and El-Kanemi Warriors, NTA broadcast the match live. We plan to continue this arrangement as we finalize ongoing discussions about the league’s broadcast rights.”
Last week, Elegbeleye and the NPFL board met with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) to negotiate a new broadcasting partnership. However, the outcome remains uncertain due to recent changes in the NTA’s leadership.
President Bola Tinubu had appointed Rotimi Pedro—who participated in the NPFL board’s recent meeting—as the new Director-General of NTA on August 20. However, this decision was overturned a few days later, with Salihu Abdullahi Dembos ordered to resume and complete his tenure as NTA’s Director-General.
