Optima Sports Management International (OSMI), the exclusive 2014 FIFA World Cup terrestrial broadcast rights owners for the Nigerian territory, has promised advertisers and sponsors of returns on investment (ROI) if they partner with OSMI for the World Cup match broadcast on television and radio.
In order to deliver the promised commercial value by reaching the target market across the country, OSMI recently signed a transmission agreement with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON). BON is the umbrella body of radio and television stations in 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.
While speaking on the accrued benefits of the BON transmission partnership, Mr. Rotimi Pedro, CEO, OSMI, said the collaboration would not only benefit sport-loving Nigerians, who will watch the matches free of charge, but also provide window of commercial opportunity for corporate organisations to reach their target market.
He said: “Our vision as a company is to make premium sports programmes available to the majority of Nigerians, without them paying for it. 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.
“We also plan to deliver commercial value to corporate bodies who will partner with us on the broadcast. We would connect their brand messages, products and services with the target market all over the country. That’s why we are working with BON on this project. Through their network of stations, OSMI plans 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 sponsors and advertisers 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.”
On his own part, 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 for it.
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.
