KINGSTON, Jamaica — After acquiring the rights to broadcast the English Premier League (EPL) in 2022 in what was dubbed a “pioneering move,” Verticast Media Group has announced that its term as the broadcast rights holder has come to an end.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, just three days before the official start of the 2024/25 EPL season.
In a statement sent to the media, Verticast, while acknowledging that its term was not without hiccups, said it was “proud to have made Premier League matches available regionally and, for the first time, to the widest possible audience through the CSport app, cable channels, and free-to-air television channels.”
Football fans across the region had to pay between US$3 (J$453) per week to US$77.99 annually to view EPL coverage via Verticast Media Group’s CSport platforms. However, many subscribers, despite paying for the service, found themselves having to source other platforms to watch matches.
In April, the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica (BCJ) censured CVM TV over what it described as “misleading advertising” after investigating complaints from disgruntled Premier League subscribers.
The complaints were related to subscribers not being able to watch Premier League matches on the CSport app in Jamaica. While the BCJ said it did not have jurisdiction over CSport because it is Internet-based, it noted that CVM TV, which is owned by Verticast Media Group and also owns CSport, facilitated misleading advertisements that matches would be broadcast when they were not.
Following news of its concluded contract, Verticast, in its release, stated that despite the “distribution challenges” encountered during its tenure, it remains “committed to our mission of bringing top-tier sports content to viewers across the region.”
“We are dedicated to promoting and advocating for a commercially level playing field within the Caribbean, ensuring that our partners continue to receive the content they deserve,” the statement read.
