Hot on the heels of the successful 2010 Fifa World Cup™ in which it was the first and only African global sponsor, MTN has scored again for African football fans with a three-year broadcast sponsorship of the English Premier League (English Premiership) in Africa.

MTN Group’s Chief Marketing Officer, Ms Santie Botha, today announced a three-season deal, the value of which has not been disclosed, from 2010/11 to 2012/13, in which MTN will be the sponsor of SuperSport’s English Premiership broadcasts in South Africa and the rest of Africa as well as Canal +’s French broadcasts of the League in Africa.

In addition, MTN will also sponsor the broadcasts of some of the best European league matches, specifically Bundesliga and La Liga.

With so many of Africa’s World Cup stars playing overseas, the English Premiership is the next great opportunity to watch Ghana’s Essien, Cameroon’s Song and Cote d’Ivoire’s Kalou live. With live broadcasts in more than 200 countries reaching into hundreds of millions of homes, the English Premiership is the most watched league in the world.

Says Botha: “The success of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ clearly demonstrated Africa’s passion for the beautiful game. With this sponsorship, MTN will bring the excitement from live English Premiership matches to the homes of millions of football fans in Africa. This continues the legacy we have built over the years with our support for football and clearly demonstrates our passion for the game and our brand leadership.”

In March this year, MTN and Manchester United Football Club concluded a three-and-a-half year business partnership which saw MTN become the exclusive South African telecommunications partner of the world’s best-supported football club.

Across its 16 operations in Africa, MTN also supports football through various initiatives, including sponsorship of football clubs.

Says Mr Imtiaz Patel, CEO of SuperSport: “MTN is the ideal partner when it comes to football, with its vast footprint on the African continent and leadership in Africa. We are delighted that MTN has come on board with us to offer football fans this viewing opportunity.”

With 380 English Premiership matches during the 2010-2011 season, there will be plenty of world class football on offer for the continent’s football fans, including MTN’s over 100 million customers.

“Our customers will be able to follow their favorite teams abroad while experiencing the excitement at home,” said Botha. “We will offer football fans across Africa opportunities to interact with the players, the clubs and the matches through ticket promotions, fan parks, our www.mtnfootball.com website, exclusive content on MTN Play and more,” concluded Botha.

This article was first published on supersport.com

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