Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 27:

All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) and Nepal Television (NTV) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the exclusive telecast rights of all the football tournaments to be organised by ANFA for the next five years. ANFA president Ganesh Thapa and NTV general manager Durga Nath Sharma signed the MoU today. This is for the first time in Nepal that a sports association sold TV rights to a channel.

As per the agreement, Nepal TV will provide Rs 500,000 per year to ANFA. In addition, ANFA will also get 50 per cent share from the advertisements.

“We have reached to a historic agreement today,” said Sharma. “I think the move will help the sport and its officials,” he said.

As per the MoU, Nepal TV will have to Live telecast at least three tournaments involving international teams in a year. For now, NTV has been planning to Live telecast all the matches of the May 4-14 AFC President’s Cup from Dasharath Stadium.

ANFA president Thapa said that the move would make football more popular in the country. “It is a new beginning in the history of sports in Nepal and I am happy that ANFA started it,” he said. “The move will help us in going a step further as the sponsors will now be attracted towards the sport,” he added.