On Thursday, May 10, NTV ran a two-hour live broadcast as they signed a partnership agreement with Kwesé Sports which had been awarded exclusive free-to-air rights to broadcast the finals of the FIFA World Cup 2018 in sub-Saharan Africa (except South Africa) by FIFA.
The station excitedly announced that football fans in Kenya would be able to catch the action at the tournament currently ongoing in Russia from the comfort of their homes as NTV would broadcast 32 key matches live.
"We are delighted to provide our viewers in Kenya with the opportunity to watch the greatest sports show on earth - the FIFA World Cup - at the comfort of our homes," stated Nation Media Group (NMG) CEO Stephen Gitagama.
The move was considered a coup by NTV as they had managed to wrestle the rights away from state-owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) which has traditionally aired the month-long tournament.
However, a series of blunders since the tournament began have seen the station viciously trolled online by fans who consider their coverage of the tournament lacklustre.
[caption caption="The NTV set-up"]
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On Monday, Day 12 of the World Cup, a studio set-up where an analyst was on his knees explaining his thoughts on a square 'pitch' on the floor caught the attention of Kenyans.
Many noticed the stark difference between the set and those used by other stations known to deliver world-class coverage and analysis of matches.
"NTV spent all that money to remain relevant during the World Cup only to be abused every single day of the tournament," one user known as Nymou wrote.
"They need to spend money, there is no shortcut to proper production and have also enough/proper manpower," noted former Superport producer Michelle Katami.
The station also came under attack over a number of inaccurate posts on their social media pages regarding the performances of various teams at the World Cup.
As the tournament began, many had been shocked to find out that NTV would not air some highly-anticipated matches such as the scintillating 3-3 draw between Spain and Portugal.
[caption caption="Innacurate group standings shared by NTV"]
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[caption caption="Another mistake by NTV"]
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[caption caption="Reactions from Kenyans"]
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