The Jamaica Premier League (JPL) is set to begin its new season on September 13 despite Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) still finalising an agreement with a new title sponsor.

At the launch held at the studio of Television Jamaica (TVJ) on Thursday night, PFJL CEO Owen Hill said the league is ready to start, even though negotiations with a prospective commercial partner have not yet been completed.

“The league kicks off on Sunday,” Hill said, noting that four matches are scheduled for Sunday, with another two on Monday.

Hill explained that the league has a contractual obligation to begin within a specific window, so it must proceed with the competition while sponsorship discussions continue.

“It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a presenting sponsor on the dotted line and we’re very close,” he noted.

According to Hill, negotiations have been taking place at boardroom level on a daily basis, with both sides working through the details of what he described as a potential five-year partnership.

“We’ve been in the boardroom every single day. We’re hammering all those fine points within a five-year conversation,” Hill said.

While he stopped short of naming the prospective partner, Hill suggested that the agreement could represent a significant step forward for the JPL.

“We will be having a new presenting partner and some supporting lead partners,” he said, adding that the objective is to create continuity and allow the league and its clubs to plan several years ahead.

It is believed that the prospective title sponsor is the Wisynco Group through its Legend Beer brand. The group posted on its Instagram page a few weeks ago that it will “power a new chapter for Jamaica Premier League”.

The post also mentioned “J$300m commitment, five years of investment in Jamaican football”.

– Howard Walker