The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) is in discussions with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) over a potential broadcast partnership following the collapse of its five-year contract with StarTimes.
The NTA confirmed the development on Thursday, revealing that NPFL chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye met with the Director-General of the NTA, Rotimi Pedro, and his management team in Abuja.
“The Nigeria Premier Football League Chairman Gbenga Elegbeleye has called on the Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority NTA, Mr. Rotimi Pedro to partner with NPFL to beam all its 10 weekly matches to NTA’s millions of viewers across the country and beyond,” the NTA said in a Facebook post.
According to the broadcaster, Pedro welcomed the proposal, noting that the move aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s economic vision of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.
The development comes after StarTimes pulled out of its ₦6 billion broadcast agreement with the NPFL, signed in 2023. The deal, expected to last until 2028, was terminated after just two years due to poor returns on investment and low subscription figures.
A source told The PUNCH that the pay-TV company was dissatisfied with the patronage of its decoders and offerings by Nigerian fans, while rising production costs also contributed to its withdrawal.
Before the start of the 2025/26 season, Elegbeleye had hinted that the league organisers were considering alternatives to StarTimes.
“This new season, we’re talking about broadcasting, we had StarTimes, but we may not likely go with StarTimes this time around. Most likely, we’re working on other options, so you guys should expect that,” he said during the NPFL club chairmen’s AGM in Abuja.
He also disclosed that AfroSports was among the organisations being considered.
For now, NPFL games are only available on the NPFL Live app, which streamed the season’s opening fixtures, including the clash between champions Remo Stars and Rivers United in Abeokuta.
Elegbeleye confirmed that the league body will announce its new broadcast partners once negotiations are completed.
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