Football fans in Nigeria were shocked on Wednesday when news emerged that 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) won’t be shown on DStv channels – SuperSport.
The popular Sub-Saharan Africa pay tv service provider, Multichoice, announced they won’t be broadcasting the biennial tournament due to hosting right.
This comes just nine days to the start of the tournament which holds from January 13 to February 11 in Ivory Coast.
“SuperSport Channel will not broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 scheduled for January 13th to February 11th, 2024, because the channel has not secured the rights to broadcast the tournament.
DStv has been a reliable source of football contents across the world for subscribers in Africa, and Nigerians particularly are left disappointed by the feeling of not being able to watch the Super Eagles’ challenge for a fourth title.
The DStv blackout is not unconnected to the new order in the African football television space after Togolese broadcaster New World TV won the Free-to-Air and Pay TV rights to all CAF competitions in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
The rights were previously held by the African Union of Broadcasters, SuperSport International, and Canal Plus.
It was reported that New World TV and CAF entered into a three-year deal as the rights holders of 13 competitions in total, which will include the 2023 and 2025 AFCON tournaments across 46 countries in the region, including South Africa.
This means that free to air stations in the 46 countries looking to broadcast the AFCON and any other CAF competitions would now have to sublicense the rights through New World TV.
While some Nigerians were complaining, journalist Nurudeen Obalola also questioned CAF’s handling of the bidding.
“Again, CAF has handled this TV rights issue badly. Millions of fans across Africa will not be able to conveniently watch their teams at AFCON 2023. That’s what happened with the opening rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. What a shame.”
“Dealing with a third party and not CAF; this AFCON TV rights isn’t straightforward. If SuperSport couldn’t afford it and others can, then subscribers should move to right holders if it’s that easy,” another journalist Oluwashina Okeleji noted. (Punch)
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