Putting the Multichoice decline in context
Lindsey Schutters
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Buy SARugby.com on auction
In the mid-nineties a schoolboy, David Wessels, registered the domain SARugby.com, which many may think would be owned by SA Rugby, the controlling body of the game in South Africa, but wasn't. This site is now up for auction on Bidorbuy.
At the time, SA Rugby was going by the name SARFU, so Wessels could prove he never intended to pass as the official body and, despite some early jostling from the SARFU legal department, they were forced to admit defeat.
"They weren't all that happy with me," says Wessels. "But we were also using the site to raise funds for charity and I think common sense got the better of them." He also tells of how Louis Luyt - then president of SARFU - tried to 'buy' the domain with Test match tickets, in the middle of a Janet Jackson concert at Ellis Park. "Dr Luyt must have been thinking - 'this little punk!" laughs Wessels.
However, the site is now one of the most powerful sporting media brands in the country. Over the last five years, it has attracted an average of 100 000 visits a month, with visitors sticking around for nearly six minutes per visit. That is a leap up from the industry norm.
Attracted sponsorship from leading brands
The site has also attracted sponsorship from leading brands, such as Vodacom, SASOL, Ford and BMW. In partnership with sports merchandising chain Sneakers, it also ran a successful online store and there have been plans to extent the offering to ticketing and premium content.
The decision to put it up for sale on popular auction website was not an easy one. "I have an emotional attachment to the site, but there are too many things going on at the moment for me to give it the attention it really deserves," explains Wessels.
'The other things' he might be referring to include his role as defence consultant for the Brumbies in the recent Super 15. There may be some conflict of interest in owning the platform that reports on your own performance.
The starting price for the sale that ends on 15 August is R69 000. Wessels is likely to offer the buyer two other digital assets under his control - SASoccer.com and SAGolf.com - and the opportunity for a full-scale sports publishing business.
For more, go to www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/71183073/SARugby_com.html
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