By Kalumiana Kalumiana
Kansanshi Dynamos general secretary Mweshi Mupeta says all the FAZ Super League clubs want is just a quick and comprehensive resolution to the halt in the Zambia Premier League (ZPL)/TopStar live football broadcast deal and are not interested in the back-and-forth blame games between the two parties.
Last September, the ZPL and TopStar signed a 5-year live TV match broadcast deal worth US$5 million following the non-renewal of the long-running contract with SuperSport that dated back to 2008.
However, live TV transmission of FAZ Super League games was abruptly halted by Week 12, an unprecedented situation in the still brief history of football broadcast deals in Zambia.
Then last Monday, FAZ president Keith Mweemba directed ZPL and TopStar to resolve the matter within 72 hours.
TopStar later broke its silence by citing technical obligations that are supposed to be met by the ZPL as reasons for the halt in live beaming of FAZ Super League matches.
In an interview with Revelation Sports, Mupeta said stakeholders must remember that clubs are not mere bystanders in the deal but are the prime product that fans want to watch and enjoy on TV and not the off-field drama and suspense surrounding the local football blackout on their screens.
“The blame games won’t help; it’s better to find a solution. This matter needs resolving as quickly as possible, especially at this stage of the season when the league gets exciting,” Mupeta said.
Mupeta said the impasse is also affecting a vital revenue stream that has been factored into these FAZ Super League club’s budgetary plans.
He said the stipend from the TopStar deal not only supplements the grants FAZ Super League teams receive from the institutions and companies that own them, but are also a vital lifeline to independent or privately run clubs.
“As for the revenue, definitely like any other club in the deal, we are affected; almost any club factors the same in the budget, and if it’s given or it comes late, it does affect operations. It needs an amicable solution, and we expect that all stakeholders will be informed accordingly,” Mupeta said.
Meanwhile, ZPL CEO Joseph Chimpampwe said in the press mid-week that they are scheduled to meet TopStar and are optimistic the matter will be resolved in the shortest possible time.
