LC2, the broadcast right owners of the Orange AFCON 2013, has said it maintains its stand on the approach and charge for media rights “in the interest of African football, and for the AFCON 2013,” thereby leaving some major African populations still unable to watch the tournament on their national terrestrial TV or on other African televisions broadcasting on satellite by illegal overflowing.
Cape Verde, Gambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia and Mozambique are countries which have been affected by LC2’s decision on the appropriate media rights charge, which the broadcasting organizations of the countries said “they cannot afford” because they are “too expensive.”
LC2 said in an official statement that it developed an “innovative approach… based on a respectful and faithful dialogue,” adding that the authorities and personalities of Gambia (whose national team is not qualified), and those of Cape Verde (whose national team is qualified) supported the new economic model “whose results were immediate and beneficial to all.”
The licensed broadcaster of AFCON 2013 explained that “the lack of both anticipation and marketing knowledge” and also “mistrust against the current economic model” has blinded some African televisions to the feasibility of profits that could be generated from “the world’s second biggest football competition” by “selling advertising space to sponsors.”
The media company said it has identified at least 22 international and/or African companies, with an average annual turnover of over 106 billions euros ($141 billion) across eight different business sectors, that wish to increase their media exposure.
According to LC2, the African Cup Of Nations tournament represents a great marketing opportunity to many companies because of the viewers it attracts.
It said in an official statement: “LC2 – AFNEX has been working to develop and implement a different approach to managing and marketing CAF broadcasting rights it is licenced for since 2003. This means, for instance, adapting licence fees to individual country profile and working over time with national televisions to find adequate financing for licence purchase and to capitalise on the marketing opportunity.
It is obvious that with such an economic model, African Football becomes a creator of wealth for television and advertisers by bringing them closer to supporters (viewers) and populations (customers).”
The company urged televisions of Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia and Mozambique to subscribe the new “income-generator mechanism… for the sake of football, media and African supporters.”
