Rivers United have challenged the circumstances surrounding the absence of television coverage from their Matchday 11 meeting with Rangers International, insisting that the controversy was not caused by any refusal to cooperate with the league’s broadcast arrangements.
The Port Harcourt club have responded to a public statement by Murphy Ben International (MBI), the company behind MBI Sport, after its production crew failed to cover Sunday’s encounter at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.
The incident initially raised questions about stadium access and the relationship between clubs and the organisations responsible for broadcasting the Euromatch-Nigeria Premier Football League.
However, Rivers United have now offered a different account, claiming that the fixture was never included in the official schedule for live streaming and that the club was simply following instructions communicated by the league.
Rivers United deny blocking broadcast crew
In an official statement signed by its Media Director, Charles Mayuku, on November 1, Rivers United rejected MBI’s suggestion that the club had refused to grant its production team access to the stadium.
The club explained that its position was based on an email received from the NPFL on October 30 at approximately 8:09 p.m., which, according to Rivers United, confirmed that the match against Rangers was not scheduled for live streaming under the league’s broadcast arrangement.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Rivers United FC did not prevent or refuse access to any television production crew.
The match in question was not on the official broadcast schedule for live streaming under the Euromatch/NPFL arrangement, as communicated to the Club via email received on 30th October 2026 at approximately 8:09pm,” the statement read.
The club maintained that it had acted in accordance with the communication received from the league, insisting that its responsibility was to respect the official broadcast schedule rather than independently determine which fixtures should be covered.
“As a professional club, Rivers United operates strictly in accordance with communication received from the league body regarding the television and streaming schedule. We will continue to uphold and protect that schedule so that the Club is not placed in breach of league directives,” Mayuku added.
Broadcast fixture schedule provides another dimension
The controversy has also brought attention to the Matchday 11 and 12 broadcast fixture schedule circulated ahead of the games.
In the document, Rivers United’s home fixture against Rangers on November 1 is listed for 4 p.m. without the red MBI designation attached to several other selected matches.
For Matchday 11, fixtures involving Niger Tornadoes, Shooting Stars and Kano Pillars carry the MBI marking, while the Rivers United-Rangers encounter does not.
The same document identifies other MBI-designated fixtures for the following matchday, including Bendel Insurance against Niger Tornadoes, Kun Khalifat against Kano Pillars and Nasarawa United against Plateau United.
The schedule therefore provides supporting context for Rivers United’s argument that their match against Rangers was not among the fixtures designated for MBI coverage.
However, the document alone does not establish the complete terms of the broadcast arrangement or independently verify the contents of the email the club says it received from the NPFL.
READ MORE: Rivers United under scrutiny after league broadcast crew denied stadium access
The response from Rivers United follows an earlier public statement by Murphy Ben International explaining why its production team was unable to cover the match.
MBI had apologised to football supporters who expected to watch the encounter through its platform, attributing the absence of coverage to circumstances surrounding Rivers United’s refusal to grant its crew access.
The company said its production team was ready to carry out the scheduled coverage but could not proceed after failing to obtain the necessary access to the venue.
It also reiterated its commitment to promoting Nigerian football and expanding access to NPFL matches, promising to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure supporters were not deprived of opportunities to follow their teams.
Rivers United, however, disputed that account and offered another important detail about their previous dealings with the broadcaster.
According to the club, MBI International had covered only two of their 10 matches during the season, both played in Port Harcourt.
The club insisted that it remained supportive of increased television coverage across different match centres and was committed to cooperating with legitimate stakeholders in the development of Nigerian football.
NPFL faces questions over broadcast coordination
The conflicting accounts have shifted attention towards the communication and coordination between the NPFL, participating clubs and its broadcast partners.
While MBI’s statement suggested that access restrictions prevented its production team from fulfilling the planned coverage, Rivers United’s response raises questions about whether the fixture had been properly designated and communicated to the club in the first place.
For a league seeking to expand its television audience, improve commercial appeal and attract greater investment, clarity over broadcast schedules and stadium access arrangements remains essential.
The incident also highlights the importance of ensuring that clubs, broadcasters and league administrators operate with a shared understanding of their responsibilities before matchdays.
Rivers United concluded their response by reaffirming their commitment to the growth of Nigerian football, cooperation with stakeholders and the orderly administration of league fixtures.
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The 1-1 draw with Rangers may have settled the contest on the pitch, but the disagreement over its broadcast has opened a different conversation about how the NPFL intends to deliver its product to supporters.
With MBI maintaining that access was denied and Rivers United insisting that the fixture was never scheduled for its coverage, clarification from the league could prove crucial in establishing exactly where the breakdown occurred.
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