A deal to broadcast the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) on national radio was penned Thursday with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two organisations in Abuja.
It is a move that stakeholders believe will enhance the coverage and promotion of domestic football across the country.
The agreement will see FRCN provide live match commentary, analysis, and exclusive interviews with players, coaches, and league officials.
Speaking at the event, NPFL Chairman, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, described the partnership as another landmark partnership for league football in the country.
He said that the collaboration is expected to boost the league’s popularity, attract sponsorships, and enhance fan engagement, ultimately contributing to the growth of professional football in Nigeria.
Research shows that radio has the highest reach in the country. Elegbeleye insists that working with FRCN will bring the NPFL closer to millions of football fans, especially those in rural areas who rely on radio for sports updates.
He said: “Television is what we call direct-to-home. You have to be home to watch television. But with radio, you can be anywhere, on your farmland, in your office, or on the road, and still follow live updates. And know what is going on everywhere in the country and the rest of the world.
“Our football ecosystem needs this relationship with the Federal Radio Corporation to ensure the entire country listens to our athletes on match days. This will promote the league and boost Nigeria’s football industry.”
He recalled how radio commentaries boosted stadium attendance and newspaper sales from the 1960s to the 1980s, with many fans even bringing radio sets to the stadium to listen to live analysis.
He added, “Nigerians would often put on their television only for visuals while muting it to listen to commentaries on radio. This was a period when Radio Nigeria dominated the sports commentary scene, driving national football enthusiasm to unparalleled heights”.
Bulama lamented that the decline in football commentary on radio contributed to the drop in local football’s popularity, as many fans turned their attention to foreign leagues like the English Premier League.
“It is to arrest this decline, and put Nigerian football back on an upward trajectory, that the NPFL and the FRCN are getting back into this strategic partnership, aimed at bringing radio football commentary back.”
NPFL media
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