Why Azam TV are yet to start broadcasting Kenyan league matches
Azam TV has tentatively pushed the commencement of live broadcasting of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League matches to October 2023.
The Tanzanian broadcaster is yet to broadcast a single match of the league despite agreeing on and unveiling a $9.1 Million (Sh1.3 billion) seven-year deal to televise games on August 31, 2023.
The delays have brought about speculation, but Azam Country manager Martin Abuya told Nairobi News the media firm was ‘still putting in place finer details and necessary equipment before embarking on the broadcasting process’
Also read: Man confesses to beating wife ‘after she had abortion’
EXCLUSIVE: Rashid Abdalla set to trademark iconic slogan ‘Sisemi Kitu’
“The deal is still in place and we will pay the broadcast rights amount to FKF according to the amount we declared at the launch. Though we had planned to start televising the matches last weekend (September 20, 2023), there are still details we are finalizing. We’ll tentatively start next month,” said Abuya, without revealing the exact date.
Nairobi News has reliably learnt that the pay TV is tentatively putting a plan to start broadcasting matches by covering the Mashemeji Derby clash pitting arch-rivals Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards on October 6, 2o23, during round seven of league matches.
At the same time a number of club administrators who spoke to Nairobi News on confidence say they do not know how much their teams will receive as monthly grants courtesy of this deal.
“A meeting will be convened between the federation and the club leadership so that an agreement is reached. As you know, Azam pays the money to the federation which then agrees with the member clubs on allocation,” said the source.
With Azam having minimal presence in Kenya, Abuya urged Kenyan football fans to buy their decoders or download the app and watch the matches on their phones or stream on TV.
“We have received calls from customers who want to buy our decoders from Kisii, Kisumu, and Kakamega which is the fan base of Shabana, Gor Mahia, and AFC Leopards. This shows that we have started penetrating the Kenyan market and want to assure our customers of better services. The decoders are available,” said Abuya.
With the closure of Nyayo and Kasarani Stadium for renovation, FKF will, meanwhile, have to assess other grounds fit for hosting league matches more so the ones that will be broadcasted by Pay TV.