The League Management Company has signed a five-year “strategic and investment partnership” with the Nigerian arm of UK-based sports marketing firm Redstrike Sports to commercialise the Nigeria Professional Football League.
The arrangement which the LMC entered into on behalf of the NPFL and all topflight clubs, will see the creation of a brand new entity called NPFL Media and Marketing Company which will be imbued with the commercial rights for the NPFL.
Under the terms of the agreement, Redstrike will take charge of all commercial activities for NPFL Marketing for an initial five year period.
Both parties may renew the deal for a further five years if certain milestones are met, the LMC said.
It is not clear how this affects the LMC’s deal with NEXT TV with whom it struck a similar arrangement last year.
The deal will see NPFL Marketing create a bespoke platform called NPFL.tv for streaming live league games to a global audience. Content from the league will also be distributed and broadcasted through other media channels.
Fans will be able to access NPFL.tv through Redstrike’s Next Gen 360° platform and Redstrike will also work with NPFL clubs to enhance their commercial prospects through the creation of dedicated club apps which will be integrated into the NPFL.tv.
Redstrike will also spearhead the drive to attract sponsors to the league and help grow the professional game in Nigeria the statement added
The partnership will also see the creation of an intervention fund – the NPFL Development Fund – which will be used for improving stadia infrastructure, developing academies and carrying out outreach programmes.
LMC chairman Shehu Dikko said: “This is exactly what Nigerian football needs. Our partnership with Redstrike is groundbreaking allowing the NPFL to follow its ambition of becoming Africa’s premier football league and to be recognised as one of the most important leagues globally. We are delighted to have the full support of our magnificent participating clubs and the support of the president of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick and the entire administrators of football around the country.
“We’re delighted to enter into our strategic partnership with Redstrike. Their global football expertise is clear, their commercial credentials impressive and Redstrike’s technical ability to deliver is extremely exciting.”
Mike Farnan, Global CEO of Redstrike Sports said: “This partnership with the NPFL is 100% in line with Redstrike’s mission of investing in emerging markets and rights with unfulfilled potentials. The NPFL is exactly that with turbo boosters.”
The partnership is expected to take on life when the 2020-21 NPFL season kicks off. A tentative kick off date has been fixed for October subject to government approval.
Redstrike was founded in 2013 by CEO Mike Farnan and has now become one of the UK’s leading sports marketing agencies with in football, golf, motorsports and rugby.
Its Nigerian arm Redstrike Media Nigeria was established in Lagos as a partnership with G2P Sports to exploit the exclusive license for sport for its Next Gen 360° Platform.
