The broadcast partnership between SuperSport and the Premier Soccer League, signed in 2007, has seen the sport make significant strides in playing standards, levels of support and broadcast quality.

SuperSport research indicates that average viewership for PSL matches swelled by 30% year on year.

Of the top ten live fixtures broadcast in the 2008-9 soccer season, five of the ten were PSL matches. The other five were Uefa Champions League games and EPL matches. Kaizer Chiefs and Pirates matches are the top watched matches.

With the new season starting in a fortnight, the intention is to further elevate the PSL in what will be the greatest year in local football history.

“We are very excited,” said SuperSport CEO Imtiaz Patel. “We’ve helped transform the PSL into a world class product. SuperSport has also helped put the product onto global television platforms, particularly in Europe.”

In the coming season SuperSport will broadcast 130 PSL matches live, with an estimated 280 hours of coverage. And with Absa Premiership matches now scheduled to be played up to five times a week to accommodate the extended build-up to the World Cup, SuperSport will broadcast live on at least four of these days weekly.

PSL chairman Dr Irvin Khoza speaks enthusiastically of the partnership with SuperSport.

“The third year of our marriage promises to be even more exciting, with a compact season ensuring an abundance of great local football on our television screens. SuperSport has proven to be a great partner and an asset to the PSL since the image and the PSL brand has taken off tremendously after we first signed on the dotted line, three years ago.

“The quality of production is world class and the content across all SuperSport platforms has been amazing and credit must go to Imtiaz Patel and his team for pulling out all the stops in ensuring maximum exposure for Africa’s number one league.”

After broadcasting the MTN8 final and the derby match in High Definition for the first time in 2008, plans are afoot to offer more fixtures in HD.

In addition, SuperSport is adding the new Kaizer Chiefs’ magazine show, Amakhosi, to its line-up, to go alongside Matsatsantsa (SuperSport United), Up the Bucs (Orlando Pirates), Sky’s the Limit (Mamelodi Sundowns) and Siwelele (Bloemfontein Celtic).

This is complemented by PSL TV, the dedicated Super Diski channel on SuperSport 4.

SuperSport will also partner the PSL in trying out the newly-refurbished Orlando, Dobsonville and Rand Stadiums, all of which will host PSL matches ahead of being utilised as official World Cup training venues.

The season starts with the Telkom Charity Cup on August 1, followed days later by the MTN8.

The first Absa Premiership match, between champions SuperSport United and Maritzburg United, will be broadcast live on August 7.