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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Sports

Football viewing centres struggle for survival as streaming platforms take over

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Football viewing centers in Nigeria are struggling to survive due to rising fuel prices, expensive pay-TV subscriptions, and the increasing popularity of mobile streaming.
  • Business owners like Jide Ojo report a significant drop in attendance, with costs for fuel and subscriptions becoming unsustainable.
  • The economic challenges threaten the communal atmosphere and social aspect that viewing centers once provided for football fans.

Once vibrant hubs for communal football viewing, Nigeria's viewing centers are now facing an existential crisis. Rising fuel costs, escalating pay-TV subscription fees, and the pervasive shift towards mobile streaming have drastically eroded patronage, leaving many centers struggling to stay afloat.

Jide Ojo, who has operated a viewing center in Ibafo, Ogun State, for ten years, described the stark contrast between its past popularity and its current state. "When I started, I could get an average attendance of about 20 people. But now, attendance has dropped to a very low level," he told Saturday PUNCH. The neatly arranged wooden benches and television screens now serve as silent testaments to a time when securing a seat was a challenge, and the atmosphere was electric with cheers and debates.

When I started, I could get an average attendance of about 20 people. But now, attendance has dropped to a very low level. The difference is much if you compare it to the past.

— Jide OjoDescribing the significant decline in customer attendance at his football viewing center.

The economic realities have made the business a daily struggle. Ojo now faces the difficult calculation of whether the few attendees will generate enough revenue to cover essential costs like fuel, electricity, and television subscriptions. The price of petrol has surged dramatically, from around N124 per liter a few years ago to over N1,300 per liter currently. This increase, coupled with the necessity of premium sports channel subscriptions to attract fans, has become a relentless burden.

These viewing centers were more than just businesses; they were places where strangers became friends, united by their passion for the game. The English Premier League and UEFA Champions League transformed ordinary evenings into shared celebrations. However, the current economic climate is dimming that communal spirit, threatening to silence the cheers and end the shared experience that defined these once-lively gathering spots.

The difference is huge. If you compare it to the past, it is a huge amount.

— Jide OjoCommenting on the increased costs of running his business, particularly fuel and subscriptions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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