NKARENG MATSHE | TV blackout likely to spook People's Race sponsors

It is scandalous that last week’s Soweto Marathon was not televised. The People’s Race made a boisterous return after three years on Sunday, drawing thousands of local and international runners, and hundreds of cheerleaders along the route littered with historic sites.

But sadly, it was not on TV because stakeholders could not find a way to bury their differences and ensure one of SA’s most popular road races is seen beyond the streets of Gauteng’s south western townships.

The notoriously punishing race deserved a far better treatment than what it got, as it usually brings smiles to the faces of many, and regrettably anguish and frustration to impatient motorists who had their morning trips interrupted by throngs of runners because of road closures.

Behind the usual pomp and cheers, the People’s Race exposed the façade behind sports administration in this country, where inflated egos always trump public interest.

The bickering among stakeholders should never have been allowed to lead to a total blackout of the event.

At the centre of this non-broadcast of the People’s Race was a dispute from the Soweto Marathon Trust (SMT), who questioned the broadcast rights deal Athletics SA has with pay channel SuperSport. It is said the the trust previously sold the rights directly to broadcasters. Now that ASA concluded an agreement, which included the Soweto Marathon in the entire package, members of the SMT were not happy. They felt ASA sold their rights for a pittance and they stood to get nothing.

On the other hand, SuperSport didn’t want to be caught in the war between ASA and SMT, and decided the best way to resolve this was to stay away. However, when the SABC wanted to step in, they were hamstrung by a pre-existing deal between SuperSport and ASA.

The public broadcaster accused SuperSport of “anti-competitive behaviour” for concluding an exclusive deal with ASA.

So we have four parties – the SMT, the two broadcasters and ASA – all failing to find a viable solution to a situation created by their own dispute, to the disadvantage of the broader public.  None of the parties saw fit to find even a temporary solution. They all decided a blackout was the best option. Even livestreaming was banned.

The aftereffects of this blackout could be detrimental to the People’s Race. Already, the marathon has over the past few years been running without a technical and title sponsor. How, then, do corporates invest in it when officials can’t get it on TV, when it attracted over 20,000 people last weekend and will surely return to pre-Covid halcyon days when it numbered up to 40,000 entries?

Sure, there were famous brands at waterpoints alongside the half-marathon route, which I was part of (I decided in 2019 that the full marathon at this event is probably for those with suicidal thoughts). But did they get value for money? Will these corporate partners return next year or, will they look for more professional suitors just as Nike and Old Mutual did?

ASA and SMT must get their house in order because we can’t have another blackout over their petulance. Similarly, SABC and SuperSport should have found a path to accommodate the People’s Race – unless, of course, they too are all about ego, profit, and greed; not the people.

To add to the organisational chaos, SMT couldn’t secure an English translator for the Ethiopian winners Daba Ifa Debele and Chaltu Bedo Negashu, who clinched the men and women’s 42.2km sections respectively.

A total shame indeed for such an auspicious event.