Menengai Oil stirs local basketball league with Sh4m sponsorship deal
Michael Ochieng’ of Terrorists dribbles the ball during a Dstv Kenya Basketball Federation premier league match against Co-operative Bank on August 2, 2014. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Menengai joined DStv and SuperSport to support the game that has for years been threatened with collapse due to lack of sponsorship.
Kenyan basketball seems to be headed for better times with the entry of Menengai Oil Refineries to sponsor the game. Menengai joined DStv and SuperSport to support the game that has for years been threatened with collapse due to lack of sponsorship despite producing some great talent in the country.
The two corporates at the weekend injected Sh12 million to finance the current season with DStv and SuperSport putting in Sh8 million into this year’s DStv Classic League 2014 while Menengai Oil Refineries through its brands, Kabras Sugar and Top Fry also announced an additional boost of Sh4 million.
It means Kenya basketball will be the second sport in the country to be broadcast live on Supersport, with 50 games next season getting coverage in addition to a weekly magazine shows that focus on players, matches and attractions, among many others. Additionally, a bumper package from the title sponsors of DStv Classic League awaits clubs, fans and subscribers as the season gets midway.
It’s a massive coup for DStv who last year had to shake off competition from Zuku to get partnership with the Kenya Basketball Federation. SuperSport appeared to be winning the battle when they sponsored the KBF leagues while Zuku injected Sh50million in the resurgent University League.
“For over 18 years that MultiChoice has been in this market, no other company has invested as much in the Kenyan pay television market than DStv. Through our channels such as SuperSport, we shall continue making extensive investments in the production of local sport,” MultiChoice Kenya Finance Manager Janet Oyugi said.
The KBF sponsorship comes less than a year after SuperSport investment of Sh1.5 billion local production studios and the SuperSport East Africa General Manager Auka Geche says it’s a sign of their commitment to develop local talent.
“Our investment in local content and productions is a show of our long term commitment to the country and specifically the development of the Kenyan creative and production industries,” said Mr Gecheo.
“We are starting to see that basketball is moving in the right direction. We are most excited about nurturing such a sport to appeal to a wider audience in Kenya just as we have been able to achieve with football in the eight years we have been in the industry. Already, eight games down the line the 2014 season is already giving fans a lot to be excited about than in previous seasons,” he added.
“Our objective is to make Kenya basketball league one of the greatest in Africa, while growing its popularity locally to gain national pride and support,” said Gecheo. Already, extensive stakeholders’ engagement has been ongoing with the aim of changing the perception of basketball in Kenya.
The DSTV Supersport deal with the Kenya Basketball Federation indicates Supersport have faith in the sport. It’s been over 18 years since the league had a sponsor. In the 90s there was Barclays and Del Monte then everything went cold and it has been a continuous struggle.
