Pay Television Company Star Times have announced a sponsorship deal for the Uganda Premier League and FUFA Big League worth US$7,240,000 (shs28.1bn) for the next 10 years.
The deal will see the Chinese company bag title naming and broadcasting rights for the Uganda top flight leagues starting with the 2018/2019 league.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony held at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Thursday,Star Times CEO ,Andy Wang said the media and commercial rights will also including viewing broadcasts, distribution of content in form of audio and visual transmissions of matches.
“We took the decision to give back to the people of Uganda because of their passion for the game of football and it touches a lot of people from the grassroots,” Wang said.
“We don't only want to promote international football we also want to grow the local game and bring it to everyone and everywhere in this part of the world.”
Star Times enjoys a market share of 1.3 million subscribers in Uganda after a period of eight years.
FUFA president Moses Magogo applauded Star Times for the deal which he said would greatly help develop the game of football in the country.
“This is humbling. Sponsors are strategic stakeholders in football and it is incumbent upon the football fraternity, leaders, players and supporters to reciprocal the sponsorship through supporting Star Times.
Magogo was however quick to say that the shs10 billion deal the Ugandan football governing body had signed with Sports Broadcasting Limited recently has been terminated.
“I would like to expound that the previous deal we had signed with Sports broadcasting limited has been mutually terminated,”Magogo said on Thursday.
Subsequently, the Uganda Premier League will be referred to as the Star Times Super League whereas the lower tier will be named the Star Times Big League.
Star Times is the fifth entity to get broadcasting rights for the Ugandan league after GTV in 2011, SuperSport , Azam and of recent, Sports Broadcasting Limited but most of these companies have left the country summarily, save Azam.