http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/sports/article01//indexn2_html?pdate=180108&ptitle=BON,%20LC2%20agree%20on%20live%20telecast


AT last, fears that Nigerians will not watch live telecasts of the Nations Cup/Champions League evaporated yesterday as the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) reached an agreement with broadcast rights holder for the tourney, LC2.

BON announced that radio and television stations of all its members across the country would now transmit all the 32 matches of the African Nations Cup holding in Ghana from January 20 to February 10, 2008. Addressing a press conference in Abuja yesterday, Chairman of BON, Abubakar Jijiwa, disclosed that a recent delegation of the organisation, which visited Paris, has agreed terms with LC2 for the MTN African Cup of Nations/CAF Champions League 2008.

According to Jijiwa, by the terms of agreement, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), in collaboration with BON member-stations, will be given substantial amount of the revenue accruing from the continent-wide advertisements, which will be transmitted by the broadcast stations during the two-week jamboree. This is in addition to more advertising windows that LC2 had ceded to NTA and BON.

Also, compensation in form of more revenues will be given for full compliance in airing the contintental advertisements, just as a collaboration between LC2, NTA and BON member-stations will be worked out in the marketing of certain aspects of the competition.

"The agreement is now win-win one and meets most of our expectations, especially that BON member-stations should not lose revenue with the transmission of the MTN African Cup of Nations. Based on this agreement, I can now confirm to Nigerians that they would watch most of the 32 matches of the tournament live," the BON boss emphasised.

He stated that with this historic step taken by BON, it was clear signal to future rights holders that Nigerian broadcasters can no longer be taken for a ride.

It will be recalled that the MTN African Cup of Nations/CAF Champions League 2008 rights holder, LC2 of Paris, had earlier announced that the Nigerian territory was to cough out three million euros if it must beam the 32 matches of Ghana 2008 live. BON resisted the fee, describing the amount as uneconomic, unviable and therefore unacceptable, and had insisted that it would pay more than 1.25 million euros.

Any link to watch it online?