Length of contract: 2 years | Annualised value: US$10 million | Overall value: US$20m

The Premier League has resold the rights to show top-level English soccer throughout Africa to South African broadcaster SuperSport following the collapse of GTV, the previous rights holder, which went into liquidation last week.

Hundreds of thousands of subscribers in 48 countries were in danger of being left without the chance to watch the Premier League, the most widely-watched domestic soccer competition in the world.

'We realise the negative impact this has had on our loyal customers, creditors and staff,' GTV said in a statement. 'We have tried every possible step to keep the company going but we are all unfortunate victims of the current global economic crisis.'

SuperSport has now sealed the rights to broadcast the competition until the summer of 2010, when the next three-year cycle of right begins. Coincidentally, bids for those packages are due any day now; the Premier League has almost completed sales of domestic rights, worth over US$2 billion, from 2010 to 2013 and will then turn to international markets.

"The Premier League's increasing popularity and profile in Africa has been phenomenal over recent years. This has been driven by the high tempo style of play and the fact some of Africa's biggest stars have made a huge impact on the English game," said Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore when the deal with GTV was struck.

Julian McIntyre, president of Gateway Broadcast Services, the company behind GTV, added, "In preparation for launching GTV, we asked consumers what they want from their TVs. Overwhelmingly, English football was the answer."

That remains the case, but GTV's low-cost subsciptions left it unable to stay solvent in the global financial crisis. "It's always unfortunate when a business goes to the wall and customers are left to suffer," said Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson.

"The people who took out GTV subscriptions have the sympathy and understanding of the Premier League.

"It's some positive news that the owners of SuperSport will be offering discounted DSTV decoders to former GTV subscribers and hopefully people will be in a position to take up that offer."

Live coverage will begin again this weekend.

"We are pleased that Barclays Premier League supporters on the continent will continue to enjoy the best of the league," said SuperSport chief executive Imtiaz Patel.

Supersport will show 80 per cent of all Premier League matches, including 10 live matches per week.

A number of African players ply their trade in the Premier League, including Ivorians Didier Drogba and Michael Essien at Chelsea, Kolo Toure at Arsenal and Didier Zokora at Tottenham Hotspur.

Others include South African forward Benni McCarthy at Blackburn Rovers and Nigerian strikers Yakubu and Obafemi Martins at Everton and Newcastle respectively.