UGANDA Law and Practice Contributed by: Timothy Kajja, Nanyonjo Janet Pheobe and Jolly Kibalama, Engoru, Mutebi Advocates
Through this deal, KCCA FC granted MTN Uganda the naming rights to its home stadium, now known as the MTN Philip Omondi Stadium. MTN also has branded displays and materials throughout the venue, enhancing its visibility among supporters. As more sports facilities continue to emerge across the coun - try, naming‑rights agreements are becoming more appealing to corporate sponsors. However, a key commercial risk is the limitation such deals may place on hosting events sponsored by rival brands. For instance, Airtel Uganda, MTN’s major competitor and sponsor of the Masaza Cup, is unlikely to host its events at the MTN‑branded stadium. As a result, alternative venues would typically be preferred. Ticketing and Hospitality Rights Ticketing and hospitality rights are also evolving, par - ticularly in the digital space. Several digital ticketing companies are partnering with sports clubs, leagues, and federations to provide enhanced digital ticketing and hospitality experiences.
sports league, or selling them separately as individual clubs or federations. The approach that consistently attracts stronger sponsorship figures is joint rights sales. Examples of successful sponsorship agree - ments include the Startimes sponsorship of the Ugan - da Premier League, the Finance Trust Women’s Super League, the Nile Special Rugby Premiership, the Nile National Pool Open, and similar deals. One of the tactics sports bodies use to enhance spon - sor value is offering naming rights for a club or league as part of the main sponsorship package. Notable club examples include the Stanbic Bank Pirates (Rugby), the City Oilers (Basketball), and Soltilo Bright Stars FC. A key term in any sponsorship agreement is exclusiv - ity. Sponsors require assurance that no third party – especially a direct competitor – will access the same rights or engage in ambush marketing. Such ambush tactics may include sponsoring teams in a league where a rival holds the main sponsorship or selling competing products at events sponsored by another brand. Clear protections in the agreement help pre - vent these issues. For clubs, it is also important to clearly segment advertising spaces available on the playing kit. These include the front of the shirt, the sleeves, and the lower back. Each of these positions can potentially be allo - cated to different sponsors, provided the segmenta - The National Sports Act, Cap 151, protects broadcast - ing rights, but only in a limited way. The Act restricts protection to events organised by a national sports federation or association. As a result, sports events held in Uganda but owned by international sports bodies remain vulnerable to abuse. For example, the African Cup of Nations finals (AFCON) in 2027 will be partly hosted in Uganda. However, the broadcasting rights for this tournament belong to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), not FUFA, the local federation. This means that illegal broadcasts of AFCON 2027 matches played in Uganda would not constitute a violation of the National Sports Act. The tion is clear and well‑defined. 2.3 Broadcasting Rights
Notable collaborations include: • Next Ticket with KCCA FC; and • Vipers SC with Quicket.
These partnerships categorise tickets based on unique venue experiences and hospitality offerings. Many agreements do not transfer full ticketing rights; instead, they provide partial rights, as Ugandan sports fans are still transitioning toward widespread adoption of online ticketing. A major milestone in this space was achieved dur - ing the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024, hosted in 2025 by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. It introduced Uganda to its first fully digitalised ticketing experience for a major tournament. Due to high ticket demand, secondary sales also appeared on the black market at inflated prices – an unprecedented occur - rence in Uganda. As of the time of this writing, no law specifically prohibits such reselling practices. 2.2 Sponsorship Terms Sports rights holders mainly use two approaches to attract sponsors: selling sports rights jointly as a
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