Fans of Bafana Bafana and the Super Eagles have had the hopes of watching their darling teams at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023) dashed due to broadcast rights.
AFCON 2023 starts in a couple of weeks, and football fans across Africa and the world are gearing up to watch the spectacle in the comfort of their homes.
However, hopes of watching the games via their usually reliable SuperSport channels were dashed. The fans now have to go through other tedious means to see the games.
SuperSport announced via a press release on Wednesday that they lost the rights to air the Bafana Bafana and Super Eagles matches.
How SuperSport lost rights for AFCON and Bafana Bafana matches
SuperSport will not broadcast the AFCON 2023 tournament slated for January 13th – February 11th, 2024, because they failed to land the rights for the tournament.
In the press release, Multichoice confirmed they could not secure the broadcasting rights from CAF for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast.
CAF had already sold the broadcasting rights for the tournament for Sub-Saharan Africa to Togo-based pan-African broadcaster New World TV.
It means viewers will look elsewhere to see the Bafana Bafana games.
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 failure of SuperSport to bag the AFCON 2023 rights has cast a gloom on the tournament for Bafana Bafana fans.
FTA stations in 46 countries, including Nigeria and South Africa, will also need to get the sub-licence from the Togo-based television.
AFCON won't be broadcasted by SuperSport on DStv due to their inability to secure rights. pic.twitter.com/cg0hyClc5j
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) January 3, 2024
Nothing to worry for Bafana Bafana fans
While fans of the Super Eagles are still pondering how to see their darling team play in Ivory Coast, a saviour has emerged for Bafana Bafana.
SABC will allegedly air AFCON 2023 games with a focus on Bafana Bafana.
SuperSport also missed out on major tournaments like the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup.
With CAF also back on good terms with Qatari broadcasters beIN Sports, the broadcast rights for North Africa and the Middle East (MENA) are back in their hands.
Bafana Bafana are in Group E alongside Mali, Tunisia and Namibia. Their journey commences on January 16th with a crucial opening clash against Mali.
Below is the list of the 2023 AFCON broadcasting rights
Algeria | (ENTV) | 17 Matches |
Austria | (Sportdigital) | 38 Matches |
Belgium | (RTBF) | 39 Matches |
Benin | (ORTB) | |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | (Sport Klub) | |
Burkina Faso | (RTB) | |
Cameroon | (CRTV) | |
Ivory Coast | (RTI) | |
Croatia | (Sport Klub) | |
France | (beIN Sports) | |
Germany | (Sportdigital) | 38 Matches |
Ghana | (GTV Sports) | |
Guinea | (RTG) | |
Italy | (Sportitalia) | |
Liechtenstein | (Sportdigital) | 38 Matches |
Luxembourg | (Sportdigital) | 38 Matches |
Mali | (ORTM) | |
MENA Region | (beIN Sports) | |
Morocco | (SNRT) | |
Netherlands | (Zigo Sport) | |
Niger | (Tele Sahel) | |
North Macedonia | (Sport Klub) | |
Russia | (Match TV) | |
Senegal | (RTS) | |
Serbia | (Sport Klub) | |
Slovenia | (Sport Klub) | |
Sub Sahara | (New World TV) | |
Switzerland | (Sportdigital) | 38 Matches |
Togo | (TVT) | |
Turkey | (TV8, 5 Exxen) | |
USA | (beIN Sports) |
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago