SABC WILL NOT BROADCAST THE PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE MATCHES ON RADIO

Johannesburg —Friday, 03 August 2018 —The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) would like to advise the South African public that it will not broadcast the Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches on radio. This decision follows careful consideration to the SABC's business operations and the unsuccessful negotiations with the PSL to secure the broadcast rights for soccer matches on radio. The SABC and PSL could not reach a consensus with regards to the terms of the contract and this has unfortunately led to the SABC not being able to close the deal with PSL.

At this stage the SABC will only broadcast the PSL soccer matches on its television platform. As a public service content provider, the SABC remain committed to ensuring that its audiences are catered for with the best content, and sports of national interest is one of the key content offerings which the public broadcaster has prioritised.

However, the SABC will not be coerced to conclude business deals which may compromise its business operations.

The SABC was only informed this afternoon that it is prohibited to broadcast the PSL matches on radio and greatly regrets this outcome. We would like to sincerely apologise to the millions of South African citizens who rely on SABC radio for information.

Statement issued by Kaizer Kganyago, SABC spokesperson, 3 August 2018