MATSHELANE MAMABOLO
SUCH is the attractiveness of the PSL that they were not short of suitors before they opted for Betway as their latest sponsor for their elite division.
The betting company has signed a three-year deal worth R900 million to take over as title sponsors of the Premiership after DStv, which had been the sponsor for the past four years, pulled out.
PSL chairman Irvin Khoza disclosed to Independent Newspapers that they had approaches from a couple of companies that were keen to be their partners, and the offers had been long coming. One of those was Hollywoodbets and the other ‘a powerful sponsor’ whose name Khoza did not want to disclose.
But, football’s Iron Duke said during an interview in his boardroom at the PSL offices in Parktown that nothing came of the Hollywoodbets offer that was brought to him by a myriad of ‘agents’. Betway’s, on the other hand, was solid, hence the PSL went for it.
Khoza was not surprised that the PSL remained attractive to sponsors despite the current tough economic climate.
“I am not surprised because I understand the value of the property,” Khoza said.
“Give me one property in this country that cuts across all LSMs,” he confidently challenged, referring to the Living Standards Measure. “Go to any company every Monday (and you will find) they talk about football. Even the laanies (rich people) speak about it.
“Everybody consumes football. Judges, professors, bankers and actuaries, they were supporters – when they were young they supported teams. And even though they might not come to the stadiums, they are supporting.
“Some of them go to the stadiums but they don’t sit in the VIP’s (section) but in the stands and even wear makarapas.
“The power of the sport gives transaction volumes. That’s why I call it a go-to market platform. It is not for one LSM, it cuts across LSMs.”
Khoza bragged that the PSL is no small fry.
“We are a big line item. When companies are doing valuation, they check return on investment and we give that.
“SuperSport told us that they thought their subscriber base was influenced by the (English Premier League) but they soon got to see that the PSL is (a major influence).
“The big numbers tell of the popularity of the product. We are a player ‒ a big player.”
It is for that reason that the league is hardly ever without a sponsor, even though DStv appeared to have left the PSL in the lurch by pulling the plug on the sponsorship a season prematurely. But Khoza says the truth to the DStv deal is actually something else.
“MultiChoice was not supposed to be a long-term sponsor of the PSL. They are in the content creation business, not eventing.
“So, they were overexposed. They came in when Absa left and they were always going to leave once we got a new sponsor.”
Now named the Betway Premiership, the elite league’s 2024/25 season kicks off this coming weekend with the first two matches of the MTN8 quarter-finals. Holders Orlando Pirates host SuperSport United on Saturday and Stellenbosch FC welcome TS Galaxy on Sunday.