No Nigerian station has been granted full rights to broadcast Nations Cup

. Radio, television rights owner threatens to prosecute Nigerian stations for piracy

Facts have emerged that no Nigerian television or radio station has been granted full rights for the broadcast of the matches of the African Cup of Nations holding in south Africa next year.
Rather, what Nigerian stations have is the sub-right to broadcast the matches based on agreed terms and conditions, which does not include marketing the broadcast for commercial purpose.
The company granted the broadcast rights for the competition by the Confederation of African Football, LC2, has therefore warned Nigerian broadcast stations already soliciting for sponsorship for the matches of the Orange African Cup of nations to stop forthwith or face prosecution.
LC2, in a statement on Tuesday through the African Press Organisation, said that to date, no agreement has been reached with any person or organization concerning the broadcast rights.
The statement reads: “The new misinformation or usurpation campaign, currently taking place in Nigeria forces LC2 to clarify the situation regarding the management, in Nigeria, of television and radio rights of ORANGE ACN South Africa 2013, which will take place from January 19 to February 10, 2013.
“These rights are owned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and have been granted, through a license, LC2 Media – AFNEX, in exclusivity, for television and radio broadcasting “via Terrestrial TV and satellite, by free TV”, in every language and especially on Nigerian territory. These television and Radio rights are commercialized by CCFOOT Ltd located in Geneva. To date, no agreement with a natural or legal person has been made regarding these television and Radio rights for the Nigerian territory.
“However, LC2 – AFNEX / CCFOOT has been told that some people were trying to sell these Television and Radio broadcasting rights or related advertising spaces in Nigeria. LC2– AFNEX /CCFOOT are therefore compelled to draw the public’s attention on the fact that these aforementioned people are usurpers and that their commitments could in no way be legally binding to LC2 – AFNEX / CCFOOT.
“Only television stations and media having purchased sublicense television and radio rights to CCFOOT Ltd will be legally allowed to broadcast in Nigeria ORANGE ACN South Africa 2013, provided by the AFNEX Network “via Terrestrial TV and satellite, by free TV”.
“All other Nigerian TV and Radio broadcast of ORANGE ACN South Africa 2013 under these conditions and without prior written authorization of CCFOOT will constitute an act of piracy, leading to systematic and immediate prosecution by LC2 – AFNEX / CCFOOT, before the appropriate courts and authorities, without prejudice of all other legal action, might those measures be provisional.
“May we remind that all acts of piracy (marketing or audiovisual) infringe on the CAF and CAF licensee’s rights equally. Indeed, acts of piracy weaken the sporting event and its organizer and therefore puts at a great risk Africa’s sport economics. In the interest of sport economics, Africa in general and promotion of African football in particular, let’s all enjoy the ORANGE ACN South Africa 2013 with the AFNEX Network (African Network and News Exchange).”
African Press Organization.