AFCON 2023 is a few days away, and the debate amongst Super Eagles fans is not whether their darling team would win the tournament in Ivory Coast but how they can watch the games live on TV.
Following the announcement by broadcast giants SuperSport that they failed in their bid to acquire the TV rights for AFCON 2023, Super Eagles fans in Nigeria have been at odds end as to how they can watch the tournament.
Well, all hopes of watching AFCON 2023 live on TV are not lost, as the apex TV network in the country, NTA (Nigeria Television Authority), has concluded arrangements to beam all 52 matches of AFCON 2023 to millions of Nigerians.
The tournament, which starts this weekend, sees Nigeria take on Equatorial Guinea on Sunday.
NEWSFLASH
NTA SIGNS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH AFRO SPORTS FOR TRANSMISSION OF 52 MATCHES OF AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS IN COTE D'iVOIRE. pic.twitter.com/434f0uxJzv— NTA News (@NTANewsNow) January 10, 2024
NTA partners with Afrosports to broadcast AFCON
NTA is the largest free-to-air network in Nigeria, but have not lived up to expectations, which is why millions of sports lovers in the country have looked to DSTV for sports content.
The failure of SuperSport to acquire the rights for AFCON 2023 thereby left them forlorn, as nobody gave NTA a chance of getting in the mix.
However, the government-owned TV network on Tuesday evening announced it had agreed with Afro Sports for the transmission of the 52 matches.
The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had earlier released N12 billion for the Super Eagles' participation at AFCON.
It would have been a disaster if Nigerians were unable to watch AFCON 2023 in the comfort of their homes.
Can we all agree that the Super Eagles of Nigeria are the best dressed team at the #AFCON2023 !!! 🥰😍🔥#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/s9SR73GUyK
— Ibukun Aluko (@IbkSports) January 10, 2024
How SuperSport lost AFCON 2023 TV rights
When it comes to the broadcast of international sporting events, SuperSport has always been the go-to channel for Nigerians, South Africans and many other sports fans in Africa.
It was with disappointment that they received the news of SuperSport losing the rights for AFCON this year.
According to the broadcast giants, they lost the TV rights for Sub-Saharan Africa to Togo-based pan-African broadcaster New World TV.
CAF agreed on a two-year deal reportedly worth $80 million with the pan-African broadcaster for the free-to-air (FTA) and pay-TV English and local language media rights for Sub-Saharan Africa.
The New World TV rights meant that FTA stations in 46 countries, including Nigeria and South Africa, would also need to get the sub-licence from the Togo-based television, which NTA has done.
Following the announcement by NTA, Nigerian fans have joined South Africans who will watch Bafana Bafana on SABC in comfortably watching the tournament at home.
The Super Eagles are in Group A with hosts Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea.
They play their first game on Sunday against Equatorial Guinea, while the Elephants of Ivory Coast are their next opponents.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
