30 Jan 2009GTV goes into liquidation

Football Sponsors/ Sponsorship and Media

A television company which shows Premier League football in a number of countries in Africa has gone into liquidation, the BBC confirmed today (January 30th).

Gateway Broadcast Services televised matches to tens of thousands of subscribers in countries such as Kenya and Botswana, all under the 'GTV' banner.

In addition, the company supplied coverage of several African domestic leagues - such as those of Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda - but it has admitted that it succumbed to the "financial and global crisis".

A spokesman for GTV told the news provider: "We realise the negative impact this has had on our loyal customers, creditors and staff.

"We have tried every possible step to keep the company going but we are all unfortunate victims of the current global economic crisis."

The company has invested around $200 million in its services but it added that "the economic crisis…has caused excessive demands on the business", according to the BBC.

In 2006, the Football League lost its claim for £150 million in damages from its former legal advisers over the collapse of a £140 million television deal with ITV Digital.

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