SuperSport has announced that it will air live matches of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament after Multichoice and New World TV (NWTV) reached an agreement on Thursday 11th Jan.
- The South African company negotiated the deal to resolve concerns about their customers missing out on the 34th edition of the continental competition.
- SuperSport, which airs on Multichoice packages such as DSTV and GO-TV, remains a popular sports platform for millions of people across Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Multichoice had reported earlier this year that it was incapable of securing the broadcasting rights owing to the unfavorable deal CAF had offered.
In November 2023, Togo-based New World TV paid $80 million to clinch a two-year deal that would allow them broadcast the live matches from the CAF tournaments across the region. The AFCON tournament will be hosted by Ivory Coast and will run from 13th January to 11th February.
The tournament was originally slated for 2023, but it was postponed due to adverse weather in the host country.
“SuperSport and NWTV prove that nothing is more important than the happiness of Africans who wish to follow the exploits of their favourite team during the biggest football competition in Africa,” said New World TV director, Nimonka Kolani. “We are delighted to be able to showcase the best of African football live to our viewers,” said SuperSport CEO Rendani Ramovha.
- Traditional satellite TV companies have been criticized for their rigid and expensive models in the Internet era.
- In the Kenyan market, Multichoice is threatened by dwindling subscribers for its packages after hiking its prices three times in 2023.
- Multichoice also sought to crack down on illegal streaming of football matches by seeking governmental support and disabling password sharing.
