PSL now owns exclusive copyright for betting on its fixtures!

The PSL Chairman, Dr Irvin Khoza, has Friday announced that the PSL now owns copyright for betting on its fixtures.

This is an important milestone since the repositioning of the PSL into a fully professional league in 1996. In the eighteen years, the PSL has managed to secure the copyright of its match content, the only league with these rights in the world. Only FIFA has copyright of its match content.

The PSL pay equal monthly grants to its affiliate club. This has significantly improved the competitiveness of the clubs in the PSL to the extent that no one club has managed to dominate the league and cup competitions.

Dr Khoza said, “I am pleased that we have achieved yet another feat in the eighteen years of our professional existence. We are in the content business. The ownership and protection of our content is therefore invaluable. It helps us secure our income streams at a time when there is an explosion in the media and communications landscape that could easily undermine our rights”.

“I would like to thank the Chairman of Kaizer Chiefs, my fellow PSL Executive Committee member and the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Mr Motaung, for his steadfast commitment. We set out at the beginning to build a foundation of a sustainable league that would outlive its founders. His wisdom and recognition of the added responsibility market leaders have to sustain an industry is laudable.

The case was presented to the South Gauteng High Court by Advocate Cedric Puckrin. In his judgment, the honourable Judge Kgomo commended the PSL for the professional presentation and witnesses. This has been a long journey. The first letter registering the PSL’s displeasure on the matter was sent to Gidani, the lottery operator at the time, in 2007.

Roger Wakefield of law firm Werkmans, the lead attorney on this case, said, “I am absolutely thrilled on the result which we always knew was the correct one. The PSL has won and justice has been done.”

Dr Khoza expressed his gratitude to all the PSL Club Chairmen for their foresight and for providing an open budget enabling the PSL to fight this good fight, to the attorneys and to Peter Mancer of Diversity Management. “The logistics of this case ran on Peter’s undeterred energy. He briefed the attorneys, attended meetings and travelled around the world as our case was being built. Thank you Squire”, concluded Dr Khoza. 

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