The Confédération of African Football (CAF) has awarded Pan-African Togolese broadcaster New World TV exclusive Free-to-Air and Pay-TV broadcast rights for Sub-Saharan territories for CAF Competitions and Events from 2023 to 2025 including the AFCON 2023 which begins in about a week.
The groundbreaking deal not only reshapes the landscape of African football broadcasting but also marks the first time Africa’s largest pay-TV broadcaster, SuperSport, will miss out on airing the highly anticipated 2023 Nations Cup tournament.
MultiChoice, the parent company of SuperSport, on Wednesday stunned the sports media industry with a last-minute announcement, just 10 days before the Nations Cup tournament kick-off, revealing their failure to secure the broadcast rights.
“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,” the statement, purportedly from the South African broadcaster read in part.
However, by the time the statement from MultiChoice made its way on social media, CAF, the continental football governing body had already awarded the broadcast rights to New World TV, a Togolese broadcaster.
Last month on 3rd December 2023, CAF revealed that several global broadcasters and agencies took part in a highly competitive tender process for CAF Media Rights but it was ultimately awarded to New World TV which has previously acquired major sporting rights including the pay-TV rights across Sub-Saharan Africa for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
“The Media Rights Agreement between CAF and New World TV includes the rights to the upcoming TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (“AFCON”) Côte d’Ivoire 2023 which presents an exciting opportunity for African football to reach new audiences in Africa and globally with an ambitious and dynamic Pan-African broadcaster,” a press statement from CAF read last month.
CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe hailed the deal as the largest investment by a Pan-African broadcaster in CAF’s history, emphasizing the adaptability of New World TV to the evolving demands and viewing patterns of modern football audiences.
“The Media Rights Agreement with New World TV is the biggest investment by a Pan-African broadcaster in CAF’s history. We are very proud to partner with such a globally competitive and innovative broadcasting company which has adapted quickly to the changing demands and viewing patterns of the modern football audience,” said Motsepe.
“New World TV is also introducing new ways of consuming video content through its strong partnerships with various mobile operators and its television networks.”
Nimonka Kolani, Managing Director of New World TV Group, expressed the broadcaster’s commitment to making African competitions accessible at an affordable price.
“The partnership with CAF not only positions New World TV as the gatekeeper of football rights but also opens avenues for strengthening relationships with the public during these monumental CAF events.” He expressed.
As a result of this groundbreaking agreement, CAF is set to make significant investments in TV products, further contributing to the financial development of football in Africa.
The latest development marks a pivotal moment in the history of African football, where collaboration with New World TV is poised to shape the future of how fans experience and engage with the sport on their screens.
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