Patrice Motsepe makes CAF television rights impasse with Lagardere priority

CAF President Patrice MotsepePatrice Motsepe says one of his first targets as the new President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is to help solve the television rights saga that has negatively affected the finances of the continental football governing body.The South African businessman has been bombarded with questions over his approach towards the impasse with French company Lagardere since taking charge of CAF following Friday’s elections in Morocco.CAF has been locked in a legal dispute with the television and marketing rights company which has led to several television stations being denied the chance of showing the continent’s top matches.Africa football governing body needs some cash injection after it reported a $11.4-million loss for 2020 while a $6.8-million deficit also also reported for 2019 following the cancellation of the contract with Lagardere.Lagardere has been at loggerheads with CAF since the termination of its agreement two years ago which has affected continental broadcasters like SuperSport while football fans in sub-Saharan Africa have been unable to watch the continent’s top matches.The South African billionaire says he wants to end the organization’s impasse with the television rights holders for fans in Africa to be able to watch the matches while bringing in the much-needed revenue to boost Africa’s football governing body.We got to fix those things. Im absolutely confident over the next years African football will improve in all areas and become globally competitive and self-sustaining, Motsepe said at a press conference on Tuesday in Johannesburg.”Africa is spending a lot of money to watch European football and needs to get more income from the sale of TV rights.”In South Africa, huge amounts of money are spent in acquiring broadcasting rights of European football, which is great. But Europe must also invest so much money to acquire television rights for African football.The approach must delight continental broadcasters SuperSport who have come under fire from their viewers and customers for their inability to show matches of Africa’s club and international competitions.MultiChoice, the company that owns SuperSport, acquired the rights to some of the top matches organised by CAF through Lagardere and the impasse with the Cairo-based organisation affected their relationship.SuperSport have been unable to broadcast the qualifying matches for the African Cup of Nations, the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup.The matches have now been broadcast by some national television channels who have signed a separate agreement to cover free-to-air rights.