Karia: Linking Tanzanian football to capital markets to attract investors

For the first time, Citadel Tanzania Limited will also partner with a licensed stockbroker to conduct a comprehensive valuation of the Tanzania Mainland Premier League and other domestic competitions.  The exercise is intended to establish the league’s true market value and open the door to capital market participation, credible investors, and sustainable commercial growth.

Information obtained by The Citizen indicates that this initiative represents a fundamental shift in football governance, signalling TFF’s intention to integrate the sport into modern capital markets and adopt commercial practices consistent with global football economies.

Scope of the valuation exercise

The valuation exercise will extend beyond the Tanzania Mainland Premier League. Citadel Tanzania Limited will conduct auctions for betting rights covering the Federation Cup, the Tanzania Women’s Premier League, the Championship League, and all matches involving national teams, including Taifa Stars, as well as other TFF-sanctioned competitions. According to the framework, the auction process will commence only after the completion of a comprehensive valuation of TFF’s football assets.  The exercise will be conducted by Citadel Tanzania in collaboration with a licensed stockbroker, ensuring that the process adheres to financial market standards and regulatory requirements.

The objective is to establish the true economic worth of Tanzanian football properties, including betting rights, media content, competition data, and commercial associations.

These valuations will then serve as a reference point for engaging investors, broadcasters, sponsors, and other commercial partners.

A shift from survival to sustainability

For decades, Tanzanian football has relied heavily on infrequent sponsorships. While these sources have offered short-term relief, they have often been unpredictable and insufficient to sustain long-term development. TFF’s new approach replaces uncertainty with structure. By assigning clear and defensible market values to football asasets, the federation is repositioning the sport as a commercially viable ecosystem capable of generating predictable revenue streams. TFF under president Karia has emphasised that recognising the economic value of football assets allows stakeholders to determine the true worth of media rights, including exclusive betting rights, rather than negotiating from a position of guesswork or urgency.

This professional valuation model aligns Tanzanian football with international best practices, where leagues and federations treat football rights as strategic assets that can be monetised responsibly to support growth.

Unlocking sustainable revenue streams

At the core of TFF’s strategy is the understanding that football assets are not merely sporting properties but economic instruments.  Through signed Mou, media content, official match data, and betting rights have intrinsic value that can be leveraged to create stable, scalable, and long-term income. These revenues are expected to support key areas such as domestic league operations, national team preparations, youth development programmes, refereeing systems, women’s football, and infrastructure development.

Over time, this structured financial model aims to reduce dependence on external funding and create a self-sustaining football economy.  Beyond revenue generation, valuation will strengthens TFF’s negotiating position.  Historically, commercial agreements were often influenced by limited market knowledge, leaving football bodies vulnerable to undervaluation.

With professionally assessed assets, negotiations with broadcasters, sponsors, and partners will now be grounded in objective market data.

This shift reduces the risk of short-term, low-value deals and promotes long-term partnerships that align with the federation’s development objectives.

Asset valuation is not only a financial exercise; it is also a governance instrument. By linking commercial decisions to measurable economic benchmarks, TFF is introducing greater transparency and accountability into football administration. Decisions regarding rights allocation, pricing, and contract duration can now be justified using clear valuation criteria rather than discretionary judgment. This is particularly critical in sensitive areas such as betting, where regulatory oversight, public trust, and sporting integrity are paramount.

The introduction of competitive mechanisms, including auctions, reduces opportunities for favoritism and establishes a clear audit trail.  The governance framework strengthens confidence among clubs, supporters, regulators, and investors, all of whom benefit from predictable and transparent systems.

The betting rights auction model

A central pillar of TFF’s strategy is the auction of betting rights through a transparent and competitive process.

Betting rights relate to the regulated commercial use of official fixtures, competition data, and odds compilation by licensed betting operators.

Importantly, the auction does not grant betting licences. Licensing remains under the authority of the Gaming Board of Tanzania. Instead, the auction grants commercial rights to use TFF competitions for betting purposes within existing legal and regulatory frameworks.

By adopting an auction model, TFF and Citadel Tanzania Limited will ensure compliance with the Fair Competition Act, which promotes open and non-discriminatory participation.

All eligible licensed betting firms will be invited to bid, ensuring fairness and value for money.

“This approach also creates a documented process that can be audited, reinforcing public confidence in both football governance and betting regulation,” said the source.

Reserve price and market validation

The auction framework introduces a reserve price of Sh50 billion, representing TFF’s minimum acceptable valuation for betting rights. While the figure has generated debate, it reflects the rapid expansion of Tanzania’s betting industry and the increasing tax revenues collected from the sector.

Crucially, the final value will be determined by competitive bidding.

This allows market forces to validate or challenge TFF’s valuation assumptions, providing an objective benchmark for future negotiations and contracts.

Regardless of the final figure, the process itself establishes a transparent reference point that replaces speculation with measurable outcomes.

Betting rights versus sponsorship rights

One of the key clarifications within the auction framework is the distinction between betting rights and sponsorship rights.

Betting rights relate strictly to odds, official data, and authorised betting activities linked to competitions.

Sponsorship rights, such as shirt branding, stadium advertising, and club partnerships, remain under the control of individual clubs or leagues. This separation ensures that clubs retain their commercial autonomy while betting rights are centrally managed to protect competition integrity.

By clearly delineating these categories, TFF safeguards club revenues while maintaining oversight of betting-related activities at the federation level.

Exclusivity and integrity

TFF and Citadel Tanzania Limited have planned to grant betting rights to a single official partner for a defined period, making exclusivity a core feature of the auction. While exclusivity can be perceived as restrictive, it is primarily intended to enhance integrity and monitoring.

Working with one authorised partner allows TFF to track betting patterns more effectively, identify suspicious activity, and implement anti-match-fixing measures.

Similar models are used in several international leagues where controlled data access is essential for protecting competition integrity.

Revenue allocation and public accountability

The success of the valuation and auction process will ultimately be judged not only by the revenue generated but by how those funds are utilised. Stakeholders will expect betting-related income to be reinvested into football development initiatives rather than absorbed by administrative costs.

Priority areas include grassroots football, youth academies, women’s football, refereeing development, and infrastructure upgrades.

Transparent reporting on revenue allocation will be essential to maintaining public trust and demonstrating that commercial gains translate into tangible improvements on and off the pitch.

A new chapter for Tanzanian footbal

TFF’s decision to formally value football assets signals the opening of a new chapter in the history of Tanzanian football.

By integrating the game with capital markets and adopting professional valuation standards, the federation is laying a solid foundation for sustainable growth, stronger governance, and renewed investor confidence.

If effectively implemented, this initiative has the potential to reshape how football is financed and managed in the country, shifting it away from subsidy dependence toward a structured, transparent, and commercially resilient industry capable of supporting long-term development.