The exclusive rights of DSTV to sporting events in Nigeria is under threat as the federal government has reportedly issued a directive effectively ending exclusive rights in broadcasting sporting events in the country.
What this means is that DSTV’s monopoly on the live airing of high-profile sporting events has come to an end.
The directive was one of the series of measures outlined by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, who directed National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to implement to sanitise and re-position the broadcast industry.
According to a statement by Mr Segun Adeyemi, Mohammed’s Special Assistant on Media said the Minister specifically directed NBC to implement a new regulation mandating broadcasters and exclusive licensees to share such exclusive rights with other broadcasters.
”This regulation prevents the misuse of monopoly or market power or anti-competitive and unfair practices by a foreign or local broadcaster to suppress other local broadcasters in the television and radio markets.
“This is so, having removed exclusivity from all content in Nigeria and mandated the sharing of all content upon the payment of commercially viable fees,” he said.
Mohammed said the new regulation is contained in the report of the committee which he set up to work out the modalities for implementing the recommendations approved by President Muhammadu Buhari to re-position the broadcast industry.
The minister inaugurated the NBC Reform Implementation Committee on Oct. 10, 2019, and the committee chaired by Prof. Armstrong Idachaba submitted its report on Nov. 19 same year.
The minister stressed that breaking the monopoly will boost reach and also maximise utilization by all broadcasters of premium content, in order to grow their platforms and investment in other content.
It would be recalled that Mohammed, last year, said that the Federal Government was determined to end all forms of monopoly in broadcasting because “it is detrimental to the actualisation of the immense potential in the industry”.
Specifically, DSTV has the monopoly on the live airing of English Premier League and UEFA Champions League in Nigeria.
The era of liberalisation is, therefore, expected to witness the sporting events being accessible to other pay-TVs and free to air platforms in the country.
With the new directive, television viewers, especially lovers of sports may witness an end to MultiChoice’s monopoly on the live airing of high-profile sporting events.
