Adekunle Salami 
The Nigeria Premier League and the GTI Group yesterday in Lagos signed a partnership deal with Propel Sports Africa to broadcast the elite professional football league live via Over – The -Top (OTT) streaming.
This initiative expected to start in the new season in August has been enabled by one of the world’s most advanced AI Technology and the platform will be available in all mobile devices in the country.
Over 100 countries around the world will be watching the NPFL games live and eight or more of the matches will be streamed on every match day.
A top provider of AI automated sports video and data solutions, Pixellos, are involved in the project together with ITV Africa in a view to boost sports TV coverage of the domestic league games.
President of Propel Sports, Ed Simmon, told newsmen yesterday that the deal was a game changer which would herald the transformation of the Nigerian football economy which sports loving public and the stakeholders have been waiting for.
“This initiative is five year dream and we are happy it is coming up now. This live streaming is the very first of its kind in the world because it is not even in the EPL and other top leagues,” Simmon said.
Group Managing Director of GTI Group, Abubakar Lawal, said he was particularly excited that the repackaging of the league was something people thought was not possible but God’s factor has made it happen.
“We took risk and everything is working well with hope that things will be better later for us to have more money for government, clubs, sponsors and fans,”Lawal said.
The Chairman of the Interim Management Committee, Gbenga Elegbeleye, however, noted that it was good that one of the promises of bringing the league on television will manifest next season.
Elegbeleye revealed that the pre-season tournament which fetched Shooting Stars N100m last year will again come up this year with the winner to get N1bn.
“We are not joking at all. Our target is to ensure that the least pain Nigerian player will earn N1m monthly,” he said.
Chairman of Propel Sports, Basil Kabbani, the CEO of IMC, Davidson Owumi were present at the event while three former internationals-Daniel Amokachi, Tijani Babangida and Yakubu Aiyebeni were also in attendance.
