In the wake of the PSL inviting media companies to bid for the rights to broadcast local matches from 2024 to 2009, current rights holders, SuperSport International, are expected to win the bidding process for a fourth consecutive time.

The value of the PSL media rights was around R2,2bn when SuperSport, for the third time, secured the rights four years ago. Their deal with the PSL expires at the end of next season, hence the invitation to bid for the deal from 2024 onwards.

Given the dwindling standard of PSL football, low fan-attendance rate and the general state of SA's economy, some may feel value of the media could have declined. 

However, football sponsorship guru Steward Masela believes there's still value for money in acquiring the broadcast rights.

"The standard of football and poor attendance don't have an impact on the value of the TV rights. The PSL is in demand. A game between Liverpool and Manchester United won't be viewed more than a game between Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu in SA,'' Masela told Sowetan.

"The interest in TV rights is huge nowadays, hence the value will keep on rising. The broadcasters are not the only ones who are interested in these rights... streaming services and Amazon are also interested, so that's why the value is massive. These billions they are worth... are justified. Think about the PSL, just for the local market, you've got TV football coverage on Saturday and Sunday ... you have at least five live games.

"Monday and Thursday are the only days without live PSL games and again there are preview shows and things like that, so there's football on TV everyday. So you see that they look at it in a sense that  what people would have paid on normal advertising versus what you get on football coverage and that's why the rights are expensive."

SuperSport senior manager Clinton van der Berg didn't want to give much away on their bidding process. "SuperSport is aware of the invitation to tender which the PSL has opened in respect of media rights. Our policy is, however, not to comment on pending tenders for media rights,'' Van der Berg said.

Having reported a net loss of R201m in its 2021/22 financial earnings, it's not clear if SABC will bid. The public broadcaster is likely to sub-licence the games from SuperSport.

SABC head of communication Ndileka Cola didn't reply to the questions sent to her via email, while PSL acting CEO Mato Madlala and Roger Wakefield of the Werksmans Attorneys, the law firm handling the bidding process, could also not be reached for comment.