ZTN to live stream PSL matches

THE Premier Soccer League have announced broadcast partnership with Zimpapers Television Network for the upcoming 2021 season.

Under the arrangement, ZTN are expected to broadcast PSL league matches and tournaments by livestreaming on their growing online television platforms.

The first matches are expected to go on air next week when the season-opening PSL cluster tournament, featuring the 18 top-flight clubs, gets underway across four venues.

Both the PSL chairman Farai Jere and his Zimpapers counterpart, Pikirayi Deketeke, hailed the new broadcast marriage as a "win-win" deal.

Jere said the deal comes at the most opportune time as fans, who are the game's biggest stakeholders, will not miss the action when football returns under the Covid-19 regulations where all matches will be played behind closed doors.

Deketeke said the Premier Soccer League and Zimpapers already had a long-standing partnership which has seen Premiership matches being covered by the newspapers under the organisation's media stable.

ZTN streamed last year's Castle Challenge Cup between Highlanders and FC Platinum but this is the first time that the two entities have entered into a long-term deal, which promises excitement.

"It's really a milestone for us and we look forward to an exciting relationship. This might be television we are gathered here for but we have covered the Premiership in our newspapers for a long time. We look forward to spread out to other platforms like radio," said Deketeke.

The diversified media group was recently awarded a free-to-air television licence by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe and are looking to get on air soon.