Safa looking for alternative broadcast revenue

All national team television rights are currently with the public broadcaster, and according to the federation’s financial records are worth around R8-million per annum. With Safa posting a loss of R2.9-million last year, Motlanthe says one of the ways to generate income is through broadcasting.

"We must change approach in that it must not be restrictive to say 'only free-to-air'. We need to ensure that we maximize the potential of getting income out of all this, because currently, everything resides with the national broadcaster, I don't blame the national broadcaster, it's how the contract was made. 

“But going forward we need to unpack it, we need to say 'if we have someone who can give us money for doing live streaming, we need to go to that person", he said.

Motlanthe explains this, however, does not imply the SABC will no longer televise national team matches because the regulatory body, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa [Icasa] will not allow it.

"You have Icasa which says you must be on free-to-air, and of course, Safa would want a situation where even a member in the deep rural area, where the unemployed - because we have seen the unemployment rates of this country are alarming - so a man who cannot afford a subscription must still have access to national teams." 

The main concern appears to be the value of these broadcast right, and Safa want the freedom to have conversations with competitors. The four-year contract, which expires in September, is worth R8 million per year, compared to R110 million [per annum] Safa earned by the deal in 2018. 

"If there's a pay channel which says 'I'm interested in one of your properties' we should be able to sell that property to them, not close everything there.

“We are not saying we are serving divorce papers to the national broadcaster, but we are saying 'national broadcaster also be reasonable', you can't move from the amount you've moved to what you are today."