The SABC will be broadcasting an agreed number of Rugby World Cup games after a last-minute deal with rights holder, MultiChoice.
The SABC will be able to broadcast 16 matches including Friday’s opening ceremony and opening match, all matches that the Springboks participate in, two quarter-final matches, one semi-final, the bronze final, the final and the closing ceremony. Should the Springboks not qualify for the knockout stages, the above matches will, in any event, be available for broadcast.
The SABC, in a statement, thanked its broadcast partners, Hollywoodbets and South African Breweries with the Castle Lager Brand, “who enabled the public broadcaster to secure these important rights”.
SAB’s chief executive officer, Richard Rivett-Carnac, said “The opportunity to partner with our national broadcaster to provide access for all South Africans to the Rugby World Cup and foster national unity as we back the Boks was an easy decision to make. SAB has a great heritage and history in sports sponsorships across various sporting codes. At a time where our country is facing many challenges, the Rugby World Cup provides us an opportunity to unite and be reminded of the very best of what it means to be proud South Africans.”
South African Breweries Vice President for Marketing, Vaughan Croeser, says the Castle Lager brand has “cemented its position in national sports in South Africa through sponsorship of national teams such as the Proteas and Bafana Bafana in line with its quest to establish its place in South African communities as a brand that celebrates unity, that brings people together, the brand that is able to cultivate and create a spirit of ‘oneness’ in the nation. We are pleased that we could, once again, come on board to enable South Africans to enjoy this momentous and historic occasion in the history of sports.”
Meanwhile, Marc Jury, chief executive of MultiChoice SA, said, “We are pleased to have reached an arrangement with the SABC in the spirit of cooperation.”
The SABC said the agreement with MultiChoice “will unfortunately exclude OVHD (eMedia) platform because of the restrictive conditions that MultiChoice is placing on the sub-licensing agreement for the Free-to-Air rights for the RWC 2023. This condition cuts off approximately 3.2 million South African households”.
It described MultiChoice’s decision as “irrational”, especially in light of Minister Zizi Kodwa’s emphasis that “rugby plays a critical role in nation building and social cohesion”.
And it added, “The SABC hopes that in the interest of nation building and social cohesion, MultiChoice will remove this restrictive condition to enable all South Africans to get behind the Boks.”
The matches will be televised live on SABC 2 television channel as well as key radio stations.
STORY UPDATE: 10.42am with comment from SAB.
