Johannesburg, (SA): SuperSport TV, Africa’s largest pay-TV broadcaster will for the first time not show the 2023 African Cup of Nations games as Dstv failed to secure the tournament’s right to broadcast.
MultiChoice, the parent company of SuperSport dropped a bombshell in a Wednesday statement, just 10 days to the kick-off of the Nations Cup tournament.
According to the holding statement, purportedly from SuperSport and under the letterhead of MultiChoice, the South African-based company acknowledged the setback, emphasizing that SuperSport TV couldn’t clinch the rights to broadcast AFCON 2023.
“SuperSport will not broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations 2023 scheduled for January 13 to February 11 2024 because the channel has not secured the rights to broadcast the tournament,” read part of the statement.
Despite this setback, MultiChoice in the statement reassures its audience that AFCON 2023 games will be available through partner broadcast stations on Free to Air (FTA) channels.
“However, AFCON 2023 games will be available through our partner broadcast stations on Free to Air (FTA) channels,” the statement added.
The statement, if real, may have been leaked before the channel could release it and has now thrown millions of football enthusiasts across the continent in a scramble for alternative viewing options to witness the 34th edition of the Nations Cup.
The broadcasting giant remains committed to providing unrivaled access to a diverse range of football competitions, including the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Zambian Super League, and more, on its DStv and GOtv platforms.
In November SuperSport declined to confirm or deny an allegation it was not televising Africa’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers because it wants to focus on European football.
With the AFCON tournament set to commence in less than a week in Ivory Coast, the absence of SuperSport from the lineup raises questions about the future dynamics of sports broadcasting on the continent and the impact on football fans’ viewing experience.
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