NPFL: NTA to broadcast Ikorodu City vs El-Kanemi Warriors live
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has announced that the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) will broadcast its first live fixture of the 2025/2026 season, beginning with the clash between Ikorodu City and El-Kanemi Warriors at Onikan Stadium, Lagos. The match will be aired live on DSTV this Sunday from 4:00 p.m.
This development follows a new broadcast partnership between the NPFL and NTA, coming after the collapse of the league’s five-year, ₦6 billion deal with StarTimes, which ended abruptly after just two seasons due to low decoder patronage, poor financial returns, and rising production costs.
NPFL Chairman, Gbenga Elegbeleye, has been actively seeking new media partners to ensure broader visibility for the league. During a visit to NTA’s headquarters in Abuja, discussions were held with the Director General, Rotimi Pedro, who assured full support for the NPFL.
He linked the collaboration to President Bola Tinubu’s vision of expanding Nigeria’s economy into the trillion-dollar range, with football contributing significantly to that goal.
Elegbeleye had earlier disclosed at the NPFL club chairmen’s annual general meeting that negotiations were ongoing with multiple broadcasters, including AfroSports, to secure comprehensive coverage of league matches.
Although the 2025/26 season commenced last Friday with champions Remo Stars facing Rivers United in Abeokuta, fans have so far only had access to live games through the NPFL Live streaming app.
Speaking to the media, Elegbeleye stressed that an official announcement on additional broadcast partners will be made once ongoing discussions are finalised.
“I can’t make comments on something that hasn’t been concluded. Once we finalise it, we will announce it during a press conference,” he stated.
