Cricket South Africa has struck a new deal with Global Sports Commerce, its commercial partner for the Mzansi Super League Twenty20 competition, extending the agency’s ties to the tournament by a further year.
The new contract will span the five editions of the MSL scheduled to run from 2019 to 2023. The agreement grants Singapore-based GSC all commercial rights to the event, excluding the teams, and makes the agency the official broadcast and digital rights-holder outside of South Africa.
GSC will be the exclusive international commercial partner across television, digital and event sponsorship, following on from an initial deal it signed with CSA ahead of last year’s inaugural edition of the MSL.
Signed in October, that deal included international media rights and global sponsorship rights for five years, from 2018 to 2022. GSC was also responsible for producing matches and distributing the international feed, and assisted with event management and hospitality, during the first season.
CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe said: “They are a significant global brand that has put its faith in our administration, our governance and our players for a considerable period of time.
“As their name indicates, GSC have a global sporting presence as a major player in the organisation of sporting events around the world and already have considerably experience of South African sport through their investment in Megapro and Megaview.
“They made a significant contribution to getting the MSL off to a winning start last year and will again play a major role as we build on those advances in MSL 2.0.”
However, questions remain over the second season of the MSL, which is scheduled to commence in November. The Sport24.co.za website notes that the MSL has yet to secure a major sponsor, adding that no overseas players have been announced for this year’s tournament.
Earlier this month, public-service broadcaster the SABC renewed a rights deal for the 2019 MSL.
Commenting on the new deal, Global Sports Commerce chief executive M S Muralidharan said: “The GSC family, including its South Africa-based affiliates, Megapro and Megaview, will bring to the event its global technology expertise with cutting edge technologies in television/content production, event presentation and immersive fan experience.
“GSC is committed to providing to the fans of cricket – in the stadium, on the move and on the couch – an unmatched visual experience.”