The cash-strapped SABC's cost cutting began in earnest yesterday, leaving thousands of soccer fans high and dry after announcing it had declined a R280m deal to screen Premier Soccer League matches.
No Absa Premiership matches were broadcast yesterday, and the rest of the season remains under threat of blackout, with no indication from the SABC or PSL rights holder SuperSport on how - or if - they will resolve the impasse.
The broadcaster said yesterday: "The SABC was expected to pay SuperSport R280m for 144 matches per year for a period of five years, and during that period, the SABC would have made revenue of only R9.8m per year. This would not have been a commercially viable agreement for the SABC."
R1.3BN LOSS
It said that over the last five years it had incurred a loss of R1.3bn in relation to the broadcasting of PSL matches.
"A decision has been taken that any agreement entered into should be financially sound and sustainable for the business, ensuring that there is return on investment for the organisation."
In response, SuperSport was quoted by the PSL in its statement saying the SABC proposal was tantamount to discounting the PSL rights by 96%, which was unacceptable.
National Treasury has taken a tough stance on requests by the SABC for a R3.2bn bailout, giving an exhaustive list of conditions to the department of communications that the broadcaster must comply with to receive progressive tranches of the bailout.
Among them is that the SABC must investigate and hold to account people implicated in previous investigations into corruption and mismanagement.
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
SABC acting COO Craig van Rooyen said yesterday: it "We will not continue with deals that are not commercially viable."
The PSL said "SA (football) followers ... will ... not find the PSL football matches on ... the SABC.
"This was brought to the PSL's attention yesterday ... by SuperSport. Until the beginning of this week we were made to believe the final bits were being ironed out towards yet another exciting season. "
Asked about the pending bailout request, SABC spokeperson Vuyo Mthembu said even if the entity had received funding from Treasury, "the SABC would not get into agreements that are not commercially viable". She declined to comment on the bailout.
