South African sports fans will now have access to local and international live sporting events, news programming, as well as library and film sporting content from ESPN on SABC Sports channels.
In a groundbreaking deal with with the Walt Disney Company Africa, the SABC has signed a distribution agreement that will allow viewers in South Africa to watch premium sports content that includes the latest European football and other international franchises.
“This agreement is going to add significant depth to our current offering on the SABC Sports Channel,” said SABC Sport general manager, Gary Rathbone. “Our channel will now offer unrivalled content to our local sport fans seven days a week, thanks to ESPN’s great boxing archive and film and documentary library. With the addition of long-awaited regular live boxing events, as well more live football, athletics and African basketball, it’s clear that this partnership will deliver right across the board for our viewers”.
Rathbone said the partnership would not only give viewers access to great sports content but would see the SABC Sport Channel and teams “benefiting from the resources and experience that this collaboration with ESPN offers”.
SABC Sports will bring the world’s top track and field athletes to its viewers through ESPN’s four live World Athletics Events, with the first coming straight from Nairobi with the U20 Championships, currently on air. Additional events include the World Indoor Championships from Serbia (March 2022), World Race Walking Championships from Belarus (April 2022) and the World Championships from the USA (July 2022).
After a successful inaugural season in Kigali earlier this year, teams from across the continent will once again gather to showcase the best in local basketball talent in a hotly-anticipated second season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). SABC Sports viewers can look forward to select fixtures of this celebrated local league being broadcast live on their screens in 2022.
Boxing fans will need to look no further as the SABC Sports will be bringing live boxing events and programming to viewers in 2022, including over 150 hours of boxing content from ESPN’s vast library, showcasing the greatest in boxing events, athletes and moments in the sport’s history.
“With this content agreement we are excited to not only be bringing ESPN’s unprecedented and compelling sporting offering to new audiences, but to also be taking a great step in highlighting and celebrating some of the up and coming leagues and athletes from around this continent,” said Kyle de Klerk, director: sports, The Walt Disney Company Africa.
Christine Service, senior vice president and general manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa, added: “We are delighted to be extending our relationship with SABC to include ESPN, bringing another diversified and exciting brand from Disney’s portfolio to local free-to-air audiences.”
How to tune in:
Openview Channel 124
SABC’s DTT Service
TelkomONE Mobile Platform
Schedules subject to change, check local listings. For updates from the world of American and other sports, fans can connect to @ESPNAfrica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit //www.espn.com/.
