Azam, TFF strike Sh225.6bn deal for Premiership clubs

Dar es Salaam. Azam Media Limited yesterday inked a Sh225.6 billion television rights deal with the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) for 10 years.

The cash is expected to boost the financial positions of Mainland Tanzania Premier League clubs and turn their league into one of the most competitive on the continent.

The money will see clubs finance their operations each year and partly reduce reliance on sponsorships.

A breakdown of the amount shows that during the next season, the clubs will share a total of Sh8 billion out of which each team will earn Sh500 million per season.

The breakdown also shows that each club will be earning between Sh40million and Sh50million per month.

The amount will enable those teams that do not have sponsors to cover various costs as big guns Yanga, Simba and Azam FC have been earning huge money from various sponsors apart from the league sponsors.

Speaking after striking the deal, Simba Chief Executive Officer Barbara Gonzalez said they expect a tough opposition next season because each team is assured of meeting various costs from the Azam Television Limited sponsorship.

“It is a milestone in football development in the country. Some teams had no assurance of earning Sh40 million to Sh50 million per month, but through the new television rights deal, they will now be able to get that money,” said Gonzalez. For his part, Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC) official Walter Harrison commended Azam Television Limited for uplifting the worth of the league and probably to become the best in the East African countries.

“We must expect a tough league next season. Apart from a monthly payment, a cash prize bonus for the winning team will make other clubs scramble for the top position,” said Harrison.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Azam Media Limited Chief Executive Officer Tido Mhando said the sponsorship deal starts next season with 67 per cent of the amount being seasonal payments to all competing teams in the league. “For the 2021/2022 season, sponsorship money will be Sh12 billion, clubs will receive Sh8 billion in total and the remaining Sh4 billion will be spent on football development,” said Mhando, adding, “This is to say each club will get Sh500m per season.”

According to Mhando, the money will be increasing every season, whereby the 2022/2023 season sponsorship will be Sh13.2 billion and teams will receive Sh8.8 billion in total.

The struck deal will also see the winner’s prize bonus increase and the eventual champions take home Sh500 million while runners-up get Sh250 million and the third placed team earn Sh225 million while the fourth get Sh200million. There will be prize money bonus from the fifth placed team to 13th.

He explained that the same prize money bonus will be given till the 2023/24 season. Mhando also said there will be an increase in prize money bonus each season, whereby from the 2028/2029 season to 2030 /31 the winner’s prize money bonus will be Sh700 million. Mhando said they have decided to invest the money with the aim of taking Tanzania’s football to the next level of development. “We would like to see positive development of football in Tanzania and in a period of 10 years, we would like to see Tanzania compete in the World Cup,” said Mhando.

He said all the league matches will be televised live to become the first league across Sub-Saharan African countries. TFF President Wallace Karia commended Azam Media Limited for the sponsorship and called on the clubs’ officials to show their commitments.