The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 is only nine days away, and Africans and the rest of the globe are unsure if they will be able to watch their beloved teams and players on television.
Multichoice, Africa’s largest cable operator, said on Wednesday that its SuperSport networks will not broadcast the AFCON 2023, as they have done in previous editions of the event.
Football fans were caught surprised by this development, leaving many perplexed as to what other ways they might watch the event without being there in person at the venues.
CAF New TV Rights Agreement
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded the broadcasting rights for CAF competitions and events to Togo-based satellite TV, New World TV, in November 2023.
NWTV will have the broadcasting rights for all CAF events from 2023 to 2025, in both free-to-air and paid forms. Sub-Saharan Africa will be covered in 46 nations.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe confirmed the arrangement, calling it a “mega deal” that no other broadcaster could match.
According to him:
“The Media Rights Agreement with New World TV is the biggest investment by a Pan-African broadcaster in CAF’s history.
“We are very proud to partner with such a globally competitive and innovative broadcasting company which has adapted quickly to the changing demands and viewing patterns of the modern football audience. New World TV is also introducing new ways of consuming video content through its strong partnerships with various mobile operators and its television networks,” the CAF president said.
Where can I watch AFCON 2023?
The sole rights holder, New World TV, will be in charge of broadcasting the event to a wide range of Sub-Saharan African countries.
Free-to-air stations: The Nigeria Television Authority and other free-to-air channels in Nigeria can obtain a licence from NWTV to broadcast matches to the country’s massive population. However, it is unknown whether these stations have obtained a licence at the time of this publication.
In addition, StarTimes subscribers will have access to all 52 AFCON 2023 matches.
1️⃣0️⃣ Days to AFCON! Ni group gani hapa itakua ngumu? ile inaitagwa Group of Death!
⚽️⚽️Watch ALL matches of AFCON 2023 LIVE on StarTimes Sports channels starting Jan 13 or stream via #StarTimesON mobile app. #StarTimesSports #AFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/wZZ3mccTaJ
— StarTimes Kenya 🇰🇪 (@StarTimesKenya) January 3, 2024
cc: Vanguard Ng
