The Impact of Transnational Broadcast of European Football Leagues on Migration of Footballers of Nigeria’s Elite Local Leagues

Abstract

There is ample literature on transnational broadcasting which including the broadcasting of European football in Africa. Presently, transnational broadcasters such as CanalSat Horizons, Supersport TV, TV5, and Kwese Sports dominate sports broadcasting across the continent. The effect is numerous including footballer’s migration, declining viewership for local free-to-air television, low local advertising patronage and marketing, and the decline of stadium spectatorship as fans re-locate to bars and restaurants to watch European football. This study discusses this phenomenon and traces its genesis including emergence of satellite television and liberalization of the broadcast industry in the continent. Importantly, it also discusses how local broadcasters are resisting this phenomenon, through an umbrella group, African Union of Broadcasters (AUB), who have won some negotiated concessions. Uses and Gratification and Electronic colonialism were the theoretical frameworks used for this study. The study was qualitative and used the interview as an instrument for data collection from 19 out of 36 sports journalists drawn across Nigeria. Finally, it discusses problems and solutions to marketing local African football. These solutions include increased cooperation among the free-to-air stations in Africa, development of aggressively marketed local leagues and clubs, and encouraging pro-African sports network.