On Digital Media’s (ODM’s) StarSat satellite pay-TV platform in South Africa is adding StarTimes Sport 2, on channel 241, to its range of channels on the platform. The channel started broadcasting on Saturday. “We’re very excited about StarTimes Sport 2. The channel will afford subscribers opportunities to catch some of the leading sporting events from around the globe. We believe it will inspire our subscribers to get moving and experience some of the best movers and shakers that the sporting world has to offer,” says Ian Woodrow, head of content at StarSat.
To accommodate the new StarTimes Sport 2 channel and other future new channels, the channel numbers for the sports channels will be adjusted. The sports channels will now be located between channels 241 to 251. Subscribers can look forward to live matches, sport highlights, news, self-produced programmes, special programmes and exercise education. The channel will cover different sport disciplines such as soccer, tennis, rugby, golf, motor-racing, cricket and extreme sports, to name a few.
In the next few weeks, viewers can enjoy some exciting football events such as the International Champions Cup, European Qualifiers, Summer Football season and the French Ligue 1.
In addition, the Setanta Africa and Setanta Action channels will be rebranded by FOX International Channels (FIC) to FOX Sports and FOX Sports 2 with the exciting launch of a new football season in 8 August 2014. FOX Sports is the number one global sports television brand from FIC. Leagues such as French Ligue 1, Ederevise, Belgium Pro League, FormulaE will only be available on the StarSat platform across the FOX Sports channel.
“We are thrilled with the launch of FOX Sports in Africa, which is the culmination of a process that began last year with the acquisition of Setanta Africa,” said Alessandro Tucci, senior and GM of FOX International Channels Africa. “FOX Sports is the number one global sports television brand. Now, African viewers can experience the raw excitement and emotion of the world’s major football leagues, and a huge variety of other sports, in the unique style of FOX Sports. We are as passionate about football and our other sports as the fans are.”
ODM is a South African satellite pay TV operator that launched five pay TV packages in the country under the StarSat brand at the end of last year, replacing the former brand, Top TV.