SuperSport to broadcast Uganda Soccer League

According to MultiChoice Uganda, a subsidiary of pay television group MultiChoice Africa will start airing USL games on Africa's most viewed network. The games are scheduled to be broadcast on Super Sport 9, on Tuesday and Friday nights.

The five-year deal will follow the acquisition of broadcasting rights for the leagues by MultiChoice earlier this year. According to Kavuma Kabenge, the chairman of USL, the deal will open up a window of opportunities for Uganda's rich football talent by exposing players skills to other Sub-Saharan Africa markets where MultiChoice has a footprint.

The partnership

"This partnership will elevate the quality of our football and expose us to millions of viewers who will see that Ugandan football has made positive strides. For that we cannot wait for the competitive spirit the clubs will display under such an incredible platform which is SuperSport," Kavuma said at a dinner to mark the beginning of the partnership.

By joining SuperSport, the USL joins an ever-growing family which already consists of the Nigerian Premier League, Ghana Premier League, Kenya Premier League, Zambian Premier League, Angolan Championship (Girabola) and the South African Premier Soccer League.

"SuperSport is committed to raising the profile of the Ugandan League and bringing it in line with our professional coverage of the top African leagues covered on our channels," Gary Rathbone the head of SuperSport in Africa told league members in Kampala last week.

USL to benefit

Charles Hamya, the general manager MultiChoice Uganda, noted that Uganda was bound to benefit from the deal in the same way markets such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya have. "The extent of this partnership cannot be underplayed. This will undoubtedly elevate the quality of football in Uganda and maintain a standard suited to that of our international counterparts on the biggest sports platform on the continent the World of Champions, SuperSport," said Hamya.

To deliver the promise, MultiChoice has dedicated to the USL, an outside broadcast van with a minimum of ten video camera and several technical equipments needed to deliver world class production. The company has also secured a 32 crew man to film and broadcast the game to viewers across the continent.

The company is also in the process of selecting a commentary team consisting of locals with a personal insight and deep knowledge of the Ugandan game. The team will be trained further to sharpen their live productions skills to the SuperSport standard.