Hlokomelo Mabogale |
MultiChoice Group (MCG) is showing its financial muscles and carrying the South African football on its shoulder. The South African Football Association (SAFA) announced Showmax as the sponsor for more than 40 000 match officials.
These officials will be those “officiating in all the matches played under the auspices of SAFA and provides assistance to both the male and female divisions of the sport, in support of SAFA’s Project Equity”, read a joint statement between SAFA and Multichoice.
This means that the referees will now be known as “the Showmax SAFA Referees”. The deal is “effective this week until 2025. Showmax is the sole and exclusive global SAFA official referee sponsor.”
The Mutichoice, through its Dstv is now a new Premeir Soccer League (PSL) sponsor while its sport channel Supersport owns the right to broadcasting the PSL games, now Showmax is the sponsor for referees.
The agreement between SAFA and MCG means that there will be a redesigned and rebranded referees’ kit and other branding elements through which the Showmax brand will be showcased at all SAFA levels including:
DStv Premiership, National Team matches, National First Division (NFD), ABC Motsepe League, SASOL Women’s League, Regional Leagues and all football tournaments and matches played under the auspices of SAFA.