While many Nigerians are still smarting from the failure of the country to participate in the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament, as the 2013 edition of the competition draws closer, many Nigerians may not be able to watch the Super Eagles due to high tariffs being demanded by TV rights owners Direct 8 for terrestrial TV stations in the country.
A veteran sports journalist and CEO Master Sports international, Mitchel Obi has revealed that “Right owners (Direct 8 are demanding about 6 million Euros for terrestrial TV stations to broadcast AFCON 2013 matches live to Nigerian homes”. What this entails is that only Nigerians with access to satellite TV may be able to see the live games if this impasse is not resolved.
Last year, the French owned TV station Direct 8 announced it had secured rights to the 2012, 2013 and 2015 editions, taking over from French telecom brand, Orange, which held rights for the 2010 tournament held in Angola.
Meanwhile, Direct 8′s association with AFCON has witnessed lots of controversies over TV rights. Most viewers in the continent were unable to see live away games of their teams during the qualifying round for AFCON 2013. This was also attributed to the high tariff demanded by Direct 8.
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