The Federal Government has prohibited exclusivity rights in broadcasting sporting events in the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja Thursday.

The statement was made available to newsmen by Mr Segun Adeyemi Special Assistant to the President (Media), Office of the Minister of Information and Culture.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the statement in general directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately implement measures aimed at sanitising and re-positioning the broadcast industry.

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 broadcaster 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.

NAN reports 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 the break in 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 “itt is detrimental to the actualisation of the immense potential in the industry”.

The minister, at a meeting with Online Publishers ,in Lagos had said that a situation where a few people corner a chunk of the industry to the detriment of others, especially the teeming and talented youths, was totally unacceptable and untenable.

“Monopolies stunt growth, kill talents and discourage creativity.

“In the case of Nigeria, it’s the monopoly of content that breeds anti-competition practices.

“You cannot use your financial or whatever power to corner and hold on tight to a chunk of the market, preventing others from having access.

“Such monopolies are crumbling everywhere in the world and Nigeria cannot be left out.

NAN reports that 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.

High-profile sporting events, especially for well-loved sports, particularly soccer, are currently only available to subscribers of DSTV.

Specifically, DSTV has the monopoly on 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.

It will be recalled that Independent Communications Authority Of South Africa (ICASA) had taken similar step by unveiling Draft Sports Broadcasting Services Amendment Regulations 2018.

The bill is aimed at making big sporting events accessible for free to all citizens of South Africa.

lovat:
Lai Mohammed finally made sense.


DSTV monopoly on football is about to be curtailed.


I like this

Mynd44:
DSTV isn't compelled to share. They are compelled to resell such rights at commercially viable costs.

Meaning is AIT Wants to buy the rights to also show UEFA games, DSTV must sell to them

I like this

apoti:


Football lovers in Nigeria will be happy with this development. But it seems like a complicated one and FG hasn't provided much details about the modalities. DSTV will not pay premium fees for rights only to be compelled to share with NTA. They would rather not show any content once their current licence expires. But again the Nigerian market too big and they wouldn't want to lose out. The next few years will be very interesting

The good thing is that without exclusivity rights, other broadcasters can also apply for rights to English FA, UEFA etc as long as they can afford it.

Mynd44:

DSTV isn't compelled to share. They are compelled to resell such rights at commercially viable costs.

Meaning is AIT Wants to buy the rights to also show UEFA games, DSTV must sell to them

Mynd44:

DSTV isn't compelled to share. They are compelled to resell such rights at commercially viable costs.

Meaning is AIT Wants to buy the rights to also show UEFA games, DSTV must sell to them

anonimi:


Made sense where?
You pay for something and a government asks you to share it to your competitors for free?
Is that how government has made Dangote and BUA grow into overreaching monopolies?
Please no vex me for early momo o.

lovat:
Lai Mohammed finally made sense.

DSTV monopoly on football is about to be curtailed.

I like this

StrikeBack:
whatever! As long as I get to see to my darling Italian serie A


When will our local station start broadcasting our league? Let’s start from there

LabDNA:
Why must anyone be compelled to sell a property he has paid for and has rights to?