African football to earn $140 million
Reuters - Thursday 10 March 2011, 20:51
JOHANNESBURG, March 10 (Reuters) - African football will
earn almost $140 million in television and marketing revenue
from its competitions over the seven years to 2017, according to
Confederation of African Football financial statements.
The figures show a jump of more than 100 percent in revenue
from what the previously cash-strapped organisation could
attract for its showcase competitions some five years ago.
All the money is from sports agency Sportfive, which has
blanket rights to the major African competitions and is
providing a minimum guarantee of $137.45 million for the rights
to six different competitions.
There will be $46.8 million for four successive editions of
the African Nations Cup finals, starting with last year's
tournament in Angola to the 2015 finals in Morocco. Up to 2008,
CAF earned $5.5 million every two years for Nations Cup rights.
A seven-year deal for the rights to the African Champions
League and the African Confederation Cup, the two annual club
competitions, will earn CAF $71.4 million through to 2017.
African football's governing body was previously paid $5
million annually for the club competition rights although before
1997 they did not generate any money.
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CAF will earn a further $17 million until 2015 for the
African Nations Championship, a new tournament for national
sides held every two years made up of locally-based players.
Sportfive, part of Lagardere Sports, has also paid $2.25
million for the rights until 2016 to the African Youth
Championships at under-20 level and the African Under-17
Championship, both of which are held every two years.
The CAF financial report for 2010, released to reporters on
Thursday, showed a surplus of $15.53 million, a big jump on the
operating profit of under $1 million announced one year ago.
CAF said from next year the 16 teams reaching the Nations
Cup finals would share a guaranteed prize pot of $10 million.
The report also said CAF was negotiating to sell the
television rights for the Nations Cup qualifiers to guarantee
each member association more than $150,000 each.
"This is very significant for the smaller associations who
in the past were not able to sell any TV rights," said CAF
finance committee chairman Suketu Patel.
Patel added that the growing marketability of African
football came from its increasing band of world-class players
overseas and the attractive publicity around the African game.