Optima Sports Management International (OSMI), the exclusive 2014 FIFA World Cup terrestrial broadcast rights owners for the Nigerian territory, has signed a transmission agreement with the Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON).
BON is the umbrella body of radio and television stations across the country. With the signing of the agreement, BON, through its network of radio and television stations, will broadcast all the 64 matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup to all Nigerians free of charge.
Speaking at the contract signing ceremony in Abuja, Mr. Rotimi Pedro, CEO, OSMI, said the collaboration with BON was due to its pedigree, coverage and wide experience in similar global sports events.
He said: “Our vision as a company is to make premium sports programmes available to the majority of Nigerians without paying for them. The forthcoming World Cup in Brazil will not be an exception. It doesn’t matter where an average Nigerian resides, we plan to make the World Cup matches available to him.
“That’s why we have collaborated with BON on this project. Working through their network of stations, we are convinced that BON will deliver value. We plan to reach about 32 million TV households in Nigeria and extend the World Cup experience farther into the rural centres through radio transmission. The dual media of radio and television will synergise to deliver ultimate value to the audience seeking to be part of the biggest sport event in the world.”
Speaking further on the value that the partnership between OSMI and the organisations has delivered in the past, Pedro noted that: “For the 2010 World Cup, OSMI’s partnership with BON network was ranked in the Top 3 in the global average audience per live match by channel rating. With an average of 14.9 million for each live match, the OSMI network beat many popular European, Middle East and Asian television networks.”
In his remarks, the Chairman, BON, Alhaji Abubakar Jijiwa, commended OSMI for its initiative in bringing the World Cup matches to Nigerians free of charge. He noted that OSMI’s social responsibility value tallies with the ideal of the body, which is to provide great contents for the Nigerian audience without having to pay.
While assuring the rights owner of his organization’s readiness to partner with it towards delivering an unforgettable World Cup broadcast experience to Nigerian, he enjoined BON members to abide strictly by the regulations under which FIFA granted OSMI the rights.
