SuperSport Dumps Philly's Games And PDC World Championship Due To Canal+'s Cost Cutting At MultiChoice

As some consumers know, Canal+ is now in control over acquiring full ownership of MultiChoice last week. Since then, they've been reviewing sponsorships and existing broadcasts deals which had led to the cancellation of Philly's Games.

Consumers wishing to see the tournament can live stream on Facebook as the event will no longer broadcast on DStv. You can attend the games in various locations across Tembisa, with the final taking place at the Mehlareng Stadium. 

The 2025/2026 Philly's Games in Tembisa, South Africa are currently underway, running from December 20, 2025, to January 3, 2026. However, the tournament has lost its DStv sponsorship and is not being broadcast on SuperSport this year. 

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Also forming part of the dramatic cuts is PDC World Darts Championship.

SuperSport is not broadcasting the 2025/2026 PDC World Darts Championship, which began on December 15, 2025. This is reportedly because SuperSport no longer holds the broadcast rights for this year’s championship. 

While SuperSport aired the previous year's tournament, viewers in South Africa have reported that the 2025/2026 edition is missing from the DStv schedule.

Because the tournament is blacked out on DStv, South African fans will have to stream the matches on DAZN or the official PDC streaming service. Lives updates are also available on PDC official website and Flashscore ZA.

NBA Returns To SuperSport And Makes Its Showmax Debut In Sub-Saharan Africa

The NBA has made a slam dunk return to SuperSport channels, bringing live coverage back across Africa for the first time since the 2015/16 season, fueling the continent's growing passion for basketball. Fans can immediately watch selected regular-season games and playoff games, plus the All-Star Weekend, featuring global superstars like MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Dončić. This NBA season marks the first time it’s available on Showmax Premier League.

MultiChoice, a CANAL+ company, is thrilled to announce the return of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to SuperSport and its first appearance on Showmax Premier League platforms.

For the first time since the 2015-16 season, SuperSport channels will once again carry live NBA games, marking a significant step as the sport's popularity continues its massive growth trajectory across Africa. This is a celebration of athleticism and star power, offering fans the chance to catch all the action from the NBA live on SuperSport. It is a notable moment for basketball fans across the continent as Showmax Premier League streams live NBA games for the first time ever.

With the NBA on SuperSport and Showmax, viewers can look forward to seeing the greatest talents in the world, including former MVPs Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets), the "Greek Freak" Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), reigning regular season and finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), global superstar Luka Dončić (Los Angeles Lakers), and electrifying talent Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves).

A Landmark Deal for African Basketball

Viewers will be immersed in the league's drama, featuring selected live regular-season games and playoff games, as well as full coverage of the spectacular All-Star Weekend.

Rendani Ramovha, CANAL+ Director of Sport Content for English and Portuguese-speaking Africa, expressed his delight at the partnership :

"The return of the NBA to SuperSport is a landmark moment that underscores our commitment to bringing the best global sports to our audiences across the continent,” said Ramovha.

“This deal is massive for the growth of basketball in Africa. We are delighted to once again offer our viewers a front-row seat to the speed, skill, and drama of the world's most exciting basketball league."

The NBA games, featuring a fully produced English-language feed, will be available across multiple platforms in more than 50 countries, ensuring maximum accessibility for basketball enthusiasts: SuperSport linear Channels on DStv, DStv Stream, and GOtv, and Showmax (Premier League), while highlights will be on SuperSport's digital and social channels.

The NBA will be available on DStv Compact packages across Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as on GOtv Supa Plus.

The NBA is also already available in French language on CANAL+ platforms in Africa, enabling coverage of the competition across the group's entire African footprint.

Canal+ And SuperSport To Broadcast AFCON In More Than 40 Countries Across Africa

CANAL+ is proud to announce that its MultiChoice subsidiary, SuperSport, has secured broadcast rights for the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025™ (TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2025™) for English and Portuguese-speaking African countries.

When the 35th edition of the tournament kicks off in Morocco on 21 December 2025, CANAL+ will become the first global broadcaster to bring viewers the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025™, the massive African football showpiece, in French, English, Portuguese and local indigenous languages.

It means the broadcaster will offer CANAL+ and SuperSport viewers the most comprehensive football viewing experience that any sports broadcaster has ever managed to accomplish for Africa’s greatest football competition.

The group made the announcement on 06 November 2025 that SuperSport has concluded a broadcast rights deal with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the right to broadcast the tournament in English and Portuguese-speaking Sub-Saharan African territories.

CANAL+ Africa CEO, David Mignot, said: “CANAL+ Africa CEO, David Mignot, said: “Our newly-formed merger with the MultiChoice Group has already unlocked opportunities and benefits for our customers. And this year’s TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 is a great demonstration of the power and potential of this common ambition: bringing together our expertise to offer unprecedented coverage.

"Moreover, broadcasting this competition in different languages is a strong way to build closeness with our viewers. For all these reasons, our subscribers will be part of the most spectacular celebration of African football."

CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe, said: “This is an exciting day for CAF and for African football. When the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations takes place in Morocco in December, Africans everywhere — on the continent and across the diaspora — will be watching with pride. Millions will follow the games on television, celebrating the best that African football has to offer.

“In Ivory Coast, the last AFCON attracted approximately 1.5 billion viewers globally. We anticipate that this edition will be an even greater success, reaching new audiences and inspiring the world once again. When 180 nations express interest in broadcasting AFCON, it is proof that the world is excited about African football.”

CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe, said: “[CAF to insert quote]”[SM1]

Rendani Ramovha, Director of Sport Content English and Portuguese-speaking Africa for MultiChoice, (a CANAL+ company), said: “We are especially proud to be able to bring the story of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025™, live to all our viewers in English and Portuguese-speaking Sub-Saharan African territories.

"SuperSport has been the preferred choice for millions of passionate fans across the continent, and this tournament won’t be different, as we will have a dedicated SuperSport AFCON channel.

“As part of the CANAL+ Group, we can take that viewing experience to another level, which means people can expect more compelling viewing, brought to them in a language of their choice. It is truly poised to be a celebration of African glory.”

Viewers will be able to view SuperSport’s coverage of Morocco 25 on DStv and GOtv, while CANAL+ subscribers will enjoy the action on CANAL+ Sport and on demand using the CANAL+ app.

In Nigeria and surrounding regions, fans can enjoy the matches in English or Pidgin, while Swahili is available in East African countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. In Angola, South Africa and Mozambique, fans have become accustomed to enjoying the beautiful game in Portuguese on SuperSport, which will be available during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025™.

South Africans, meanwhile, will also enjoy games in isiZulu and Setswana on top of the standard English and Portuguese commentary.

CANAL+ and SuperSport’s coverage of the tournament will include stellar line-ups of star analysts, commentators, presenters and African football legends, who will bring their unique takes on the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025™.

Hundreds of millions of viewers can see their favourite African heroes in action, including the likes of Victor Osimhen (Nigeria), Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Sadio Mané (Senegal), Ronwen Williams (South Africa), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria) and Achraf Hakimi (Morocco).

SuperSport To Broadcast Ligue 1 Matches After Canal+ Afrique Secured Rights Through The 2028-9 Season

Last year, Canal+ extended its rights in Sub-Saharan Africa to cover French soccer’s top-tier Ligue 1 through the end of the 2028-29 season. Recently, it was announced on SuperSport's social platforms the inclusion of Ligue 1.

The first match will feature Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) facing Strasbourg, scheduled for 8:45 PM CAT on SS Football and Africa 2. This is a strategic move by SuperSport, especially considering the recent acquisition of MultiChoice by Canal+. 

SuperSport also previously held broadcasting rights for Ligue 1 several years ago. 

Canal+, through its Canal+ Afrique arm, has shown Ligue 1 in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa since the beginning of the 2018-19 season, after it purchased the rights for the cycle through the 2023-24 season for around €80 million ($95.4 million) per year.

Following its acquisition of MultiChoice, the broadcaster operates in over 40 African countries both directly and through a network of wholly and partially-owned subsidiaries, all of which accounts for over 20 million subscribers on the continent as of the end of 2024.

Netflix Set To Bid For Champions League Rights

Streaming giant Netflix is set to bid for UEFA Champions League rights for the 2027/28 season. They are thought to be interested in the ‘global first pick’ package, which will give exclusive rights around the globe for the leading game in each round.

UEFA will attract around €5 billion per year in the next round of bidding, an increase from the current package, which brought them in €3.3 billion.

Champions League Showcases Best Teams in Europe

The UEFA Champions League is considered the premier football competition in Europe, so it is no surprise that Netflix want to be part of the action. They will be hoping to feature the likes of Real Madrid, PSG and Arsenal, three teams flying high in their respective leagues this season. The latter top the Premier League standings ahead of their visit to Fulham in a London derby. They are 1/2 favourites in the Fulham vs Arsenal odds for the game.

In the Premier League betting this season, Liverpool are 11/4 to defend their title. The six-time Champions League winners are hugely popular around the world, so Netflix will be keen to frequently feature Arne Slot’s side if they secure the ‘global first pick’ package.

The Champions League changed its format in 2024 to include a 36-team league in the opening phase of the competition. This has helped to pit the bigger teams against each other earlier than usual, increasing the viewing figures for the group stage.

Amazon Already Involved in Champions League

One of Netflix’s direct competitors, Prime Video, already streams Champions League matches as part of the current package. They share the rights in the UK with TNT Sports, with Amazon broadcasting 17 matches.

Amazon, Apple and Disney are expected to bid along with Netflix for the ‘global first pick’ package from 2027. UEFA will be hoping that with four streaming giants involved, it will drive the auction to record numbers.

The winner of the auction may need to increase the cost of their packages to their customers to fund the expenditure. They will be hoping to attract new subscribers who are keen to watch the Champions League.

Boxing Has Proved a Big Success for Netflix

Should they win the rights to the UEFA Champions League, it won’t be the first sporting event that Netflix have streamed. They have already shown some major boxing events on their platform.

Netflix hosted the exhibition event between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson in 2024. It was watched live by over 60 million households. The company also shot content in the lead-up to the fight to sit across their platform.

More recently, Netflix won the rights to the huge clash between Saul Alvarez and Terence Crawford. That was billed as one of the biggest clashes this decade in the sport. Over 41 million households watched that fight live from Las Vegas.

If they can win the right to the Champions League, it will be a boost for Netflix, who are keen to be more involved in some of the leading sporting events in the world.

How SuperSport Is Impacted By The Canal+ Acquisition?

Not long ago, Canal+ SA had completed its acquisition of South African pay-TV operator MultiChoice Group, securing a 48.2% stake in the company.

The transaction, which Canal+ described as its largest ever, creates a global media and entertainment group serving more than 40 million subscribers across nearly 70 countries in Africa, Europe, and Asia, with approximately 17,000 employees.

Since the merger, there had been a great deal of concern amongst the media regarding SuperSport and Canal+ was quick to clarify that the deal wouldn't lead it to become Canal+ Sport. Of course, they've been talking about synergies in the last couple of months.

In Francophone Africa, MultiChoice has been distributing an add on service to Canal+ Afrique consumers known as DStv English Plus. It offers Premier League and La Liga for instance I'm assuming those are the type of synergies they're referring.

Before the merger, Canal+ didn't have much sporting rights for consumers in Africa as seen in Europe and France so they'd license content from rivals such as Bein Sports and DAZN. Under this merger, SuperSport will most definitely need to align with its French equivalent Canal+ Sport.

If Canal+ Afrique distributed Ligue 1 through its deal with Bein Sports rather than SuperSport launching a dedicated channel it also distributes Bein Sports to prevent any overlaps or duplication. Same goes for doccies like Chasing The Sun which will likely get dubbed rather than retooled into a separate series.

Some revaluation is underway for Showmax in which MultiChoice revamped last year in partnership with NBCUniversal. This could affect Showmax Premier League offering as it would rival with DStv Stream's extensive offering due to its low rates.

MultiChoice is looking to possibly offer SuperSport as a standalone service on DStv combined with Showmax this could as well be Football based package with separate offering for cricket, rugby and tennis. Maybe they could take a page from Ultraview by offering PSL and La Liga separately. 

Finally with a merger there's always potential drawbacks as MultiChoice has lost over a million subscribers in the last year. The acquiring company makes cuts think of the Ethiopian Premier League the losses could affect more niche African leagues.

September 2025 On ESPN Across Africa | Return Of The NFL + Fixtures | MLB World Finals | AFL Finals | More

RETURN OF THE NFL

The National Football League is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference.

Key fixtures to look out for:

Eagles vs Cowboys - 5 Sept

Chiefs vs Eagles - 14 Sept

NY Giants vs Chiefs - 22 Sept

Raiders vs Bears - 28 Sept

MLB WORLD FINALS

The 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) season is in full swing with all 30 teams scheduled to play 162 games across a season that culminates in the World Series in September. ESPN airs live MLB games throughout the week and over weekends. 

The MLB Playoffs will start the end of September, running through the end of October.

FOOTBALL CONTINUES

The Saudi Pro League, EFL, Turkish Super Lig, NWSL, Eredevisie, DKF Pokal, Scottish Premiership and return to ESPN. All the above leagues are in action in the month of September.

AFL

The Australian Football League is the pre-eminent professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition from the Victorian Football Association, with its inaugural season in 1897. 

The AFL final is taking place on Saturday 27 September and will air on ESPN Africa.

NRL

The National Rugby League is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, and New Zealand. The NRL continues in September.

The Premiership Grand Final will take place on 5 October 2025.

Why A Sports Only Package Seemed Speculative But Unlikely For DStv?

As reported, MultiChoice is planning to restructure it's DStv packages giving consumers the option of paying for TLC and Mzansi Magic minus SuperSport. Also within the test run, is the possibility of unbundling SuperSport from the rest of the DStv offering.

This has been something Sky in the UK and their potential new owners Canal+ had in France. MultiChoice had acknowledged falling behind with other parts of the world and in its bid to attract DStv consumers will be the unbundling of its offering.

There's a reason various outlets have been highly skeptical about SuperSport becoming its own standalone platform. Take a page of Showmax PRO, some consumers would subscribe for certain matches then cancel making it hard for MultiChoice to accommodate these viewers.

Canal+ had also offered such service in the markets in which it operates and concluded to say everyone that has tried this failed.

So what MultiChoice proposed in earlier drafts was giving consumers the option of paying for local dramas, cartoons, music and movie channels. In an attempt to make rates affordable for its top tier consumers give them the option to get a football only package with other sports on a separate package.

Those choosing to pay for both packages would be offered a discounted rate. A formula Canal+ already incorporate and one MultiChoice will likely adapt when concluding their trial in the coming months.

ESPN Across Africa: English Football League, Major League Baseball And More In August

FOOTBALL SEASON RETURNS

The European football leagues return in August for the 2025/26 season 

Catch all the action from the English Football League (EFL), Scottish Premier Football League (SPFL), Dutch Eredivisie and the DFB Pokal.

MLB

The 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) season is full throttle with all 30 teams scheduled to play 162 games across a season that culminates in the World Series in November.

The biggest hits, the quickest pitchers, the brilliant catches and all the home run action every week Live on ESPN.

Key Fixtures:

Tigers vs Pirates – 19 June

Yankees vs Orioles – 21 June

Astros vs Phillies – 26 June

Brewers vs Rockies – 29 June

NRL

The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league competition featuring teams from Australia and New Zealand. The conclusion to the NRL 2025 regular season reaches breakpoint.

Watch the NRL on ESPN Africa every weekend! 

Please note: 

All fixtures and schedules are subject to change. 

Broadcast times are provided in CAT (Central African Time) 

How to tune in to ESPN:

ESPN: DStv 218, Starsat 248 

ESPN2: DStv 219, Starsat 249

Why Canal+ And MultiChoice Are Likely To Retain SuperSportBET?

Canal+ has been vocal with the media on MultiChoice's decision to diversify outside of pay-tv which they don't deem a necessity. These include NMIS Insurance Services (Insurance), Moment (finance), Namola (emergency services) and SuperSportBET (gambling).

MultiChoice initially being insolvent had to scale back on these endeavours with Sanlam that acquired a 60% stake in NMIS Insurance Services. Then there was the end of SuperSport United which MultiChoice acquired in 1994 as Pretoria City.

With the deal almost near completion as it awaits final approval from the Competition Tribunal and ICASA. There has been questions about what may become of SuperSportBET as it too is deemed a non core asset.

SuperSportBET which forms part of a joint venture between MultiChoice and Kingmakers had launched in 2021 and still operates at a loss if you were to compare it with existing competitors such as Betway and HollywoodBet.

But then again, it's something Canal+ might retain as they had initially planned to launch betting service in Europe by the 2010s in conjunction with Ladbrokes. Maybe this MultiChoice transaction is what could persuade them to revisit this venture and getting to SuperSport United.

It was a physical fan club which had several expenses tied to it being player's salaries, facilities and management all of which yielded very little income. SuperSportBET being a digital entity has less expenses and with betting seeing a surge in consumption it's likely to become profitable.

Betting had been viewed as a popular marketing tool for sports compared to a fan club which relies on physical media which had been in decline.

Bloemfontein Celtic Revival In The Works As SuperSport United Reportedly Sold For R50 Million

SuperSport United FC has been sold to a Bloemfontein businessman for R50 million, paving the way for the rebirth of the beloved Bloemfontein Celtic. The announcement, broken by renowned sports journalist Robert Marawa, confirms that the club will now operate under the new name "Celtic United."

The sale marks the end of an era for SuperSport United, a Tshwane-based club that has been a fixture in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) since 1994, known for nurturing top talent and delivering competitive performances. 

The move signals a revival for Bloemfontein Celtic, a Free State giant with a passionate fanbase known as Siwelele. However, The club’s former owner, the late Petros Molemela, died with the title deed, and the new owners are unable to legally use the name hence the launch of Celtic United. 

Founded in 1969, Celtic had competed in the PSL until financial woes forced it to sell its status to now Royal AM in 2021.

This transaction underscores the fragile financial landscape of South African football. According to a May 2025 report by the Daily Maverick, over 40% of PSL clubs operate at a loss, highlighting the unsustainable model that has seen historic teams like Wits and now SuperSport relinquish their top-flight status.

MultiChoice And SuperSport Aren't Threatened By Netflix And WWE Deal

Earlier in the year, WWE debuted on Netflix for consumers in US, UK and Canada as the streamer acquired exclusive rights to its flagship shows Raw, SmackDown and NXT alongside archived and premium live events. At the time, it was stated that Netflix would look to extend this to more markets.

In Africa, SuperSport held exclusive rights after its departure from e.tv in 2017 followed by another extension in 2022. At the time, SuperSport assured fans on DStv that it's rollout in some parts of the world wouldn't affect them.

During the week, MultiChoice unveiled their annual results for 31 March 2025 and within those documents MultiChoice addressed various topics one of which relate to WWE.

Since last year, various streaming platforms have started rivalling with SuperSport or as seen within this document YouTube + NFL and Amazon Prime Video + Prime Video Sport. MultiChoice in its defense highlights Premier League likely due to its tie-up to Showmax. 

To us this is sort of signal to SuperSport's impending disaster firstly with Ethiopian Premier League and in future (2027/8), WWE. This deal with Netflix is a global deal worth R94 billion and in some markets like Africa there is hurdles to getting this to the platform.

SuperSport in losing WWE would leave AEW on TNT as the only wrestling promotion on DStv unless that's removed as well with Amazon Prime Video and DAZN snatching rights to the promotion in some markets.

Even if SuperSport were to relinquish rights of AEW from TNT fact is WWE has a dedicated channel and AEW doesn't have enough content for such. To top it off, AEW lacks in scale and familiarity compared to WWE even with the presence of Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho.

That's what happened when e.tv attempted to use TNA to replace WWE the latter changed timeslots numerous times and moved exclusively to Openview before folding under StarTimes. It's likely that SuperSport will streamline its efforts and focus on its remaining lineup.

Even if Netflix has WWE with YouTube having NFL fact of the matter is they can't replicate SuperSport's diverse offering as it's expensive.

MultiChoice Looking To Unbundle SuperSport In A Not So Distant Future If Not Launch A DStv Premium Competitior

A few years ago, MultiChoice was experimenting with the possibility of unbundling SuperSport and the trail had since gone quiet. Now it looks like the company may be revisiting this within the next financial period April 2026 and prior to this is it's pending takeover by Canal+.

Recently it was reported that they are no longer insolvent due to the sale of NMIS Insurance Services but DStv consumers to be a loss maker there. If anything, this unbundled offering seems like a more likeable approach especially under French management.

MultiChoice said the initiative was still in its early stages and that it was still assessing the offering’s commercial impact and customer value. 

But then again, Canal+ very much like Sky in the UK offers a standalone sports package which boasts about 9 sports channels for R720 a month. Some people may view this as a victory but in hindsight that is only for entertainment lovers.

DStv Flex which was earlier concept for this unbundled offering boasts over 60 channels ranging from general entertainment, news, cartoons and music. It comes with an option to bundle one of 3 sports packages alongside AddMovies.

This draft dates back to 2021 so rates are likely to be adjusted should this unbundled offering enter fruition. Of course, at the time MultiChoice was hesitant on offering sports as a standalone so if they do launch a sports package it will be expensive - cheaper with DStv Stream consumers.

The question MultiChoice has yet to address should this launch is whether this package will lead certain channels to close or if it will lead them to merging Compact+ and Premium. When or if it does launch, there's most likely going to be an uptake in the number of subscriptions from existing consumers.

Some would argue that even with this draft the rates are higher particularly those on Access and Easyview. It does lead you to wonder if the general entertainment package will have another price plan which prioritizes secondary brands like Mzansi Wethu.

If so then I'd imagine DStv Premium to Access undergoing a major overhaul with Easyview unscatched. 

Channel Closure: SuperSport Liyu Goes Dark On June 30th On DStv In Ethiopia

For those who haven't heard, SuperSport had opted not to distribute the Ethiopian Premier League after signing a 5 year deal in 2020. As a result, SuperSport Liyu will stop being distributed on the DStv platform by 30 June.

From what I recall, SuperSport Liyu was a football channel or the Amharic equivalent of SuperSport Football offering Premier League and La Liga. With the channel taking the plunge, it's not really known whether the latter will be distributed in Amharic on other SuperSport channels.

MultiChoice which serves as the holder of SuperSport has been dealing with financial constraints and are now relying on them to get of this stigma. Earlier in the year, Canal+ did close its pay-tv operations in the regions so whose to say what's going to happen now under the merged company.

Prior to Liyu's closure, MultiChoice had suddenly put up a test card for the channel onto its transponders in Southern Africa. So either plans were underway to do some open window (which I doubt) or MultiChoice is experimenting on another TV channel with its frequencies.

It's not known if this channel will be carried in other parts of Africa, what content may come out of this or if this channel will ever be launched as seen with Via's duplicate channel.

A statement from the general manager of EPN

Speaking on the matter, the league’s general manager Kifele Seyife said SuperSport have already ended its partnership. “DSTV had a rocky financial year at South Africa. They have ended the deal with us. They have already paid their last installment of the season.”

SuperSport has showcased few league games this season so far. Pan-Africa Football understands only sixty league games will be shown live on TV this season. The league and SuperSport failed to negotiate a new deal after DSTV owner Multichoice sold many of its shares to French company Canal Plus. 

The league has now shifted their focus on securing a new broadcaster. National broadcaster Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation has shown interest and the league is also weighing an option to stream live games on EthioTele’s Tele TV. 

DStv Shorts: ROK Might Be Loading In High Definition (HD), Teen Africa TV Gets Yanked Off And SuperSport Liyu's Launch Likely Postponed

ROK is going HD

MultiChoice is currently in the process of completing its acquisition by ROK owners Canal+ as the deal is set to finalised by the Competition Tribunal in the coming months. Amidst this, ROK had been making some headlines in the previous months.

As recalled, it appeared that ROK was experimenting on a third TV channel with ROK 2 available in other parts of Africa. As this channel had its own schedule with most of the content (mainly movies) borrowed from the current ROK channels on DStv now that appears to have been killed off (maybe).

Usually in testing stages, placeholders usually come in before the actual channel begins development but in ROK's case that could as well remain a mystery. For now, it appears to be an HD feed for the eldest ROK channel so we can only assume when the buyout commences ROK will remain unaffected.

Teen Africa TV takes a raincheck 

Teen Africa TV is a Nigerian based youth channel that offers locally produced content which range from reality, educational content and drama series. For sometime, Teen Africa TV has struggled to remain consistent as broadcast hours and content offering had further been reduced.

According to posts on their social platforms, Teen Africa TV is planning to go "fully online" which implies it's discontinuation on DStv, GOtv and StarTimes as they're not listed on any of their websites. On top of that, their new home YouTube has been inactive and has very little noticeability.

Kind of curious where this funding will come from and how they'll be able to monetize any of this going forward.

Since it's inception, Teen Africa TV has controversial first with allegations of workers not getting paid. Another had to do with MultiChoice moving it's frequency closer to other children channels on DStv despite being a youth channel some of its content caters for a much older audience.

SuperSport extending the reach of Liyu

We were the first to report on this and from what some subscribers had seen last month MultiChoice added SuperSport Liyu on channel 236 - probably a test launch. Since then, MultiChoice hasn't stated the exact reason for inducting the channel to more consumers across Africa.

It is a football channel with majority of content already accessible on other SuperSport channels. To top it off, the content is broadcast in Amharic which is only known to consumers in Ethiopia my hunch still stands it's likely a pop-up channel they're using to boast a major event.

The fact it was allocated with the other SuperSport channels only to get removed means one of two things first the channel was delayed as MultiChoice had been notorious for such. Second, they likely scrapped the launch for some apparent reason.

Development Alert (Rumour): MultiChoice To Add SuperSport Liyu To DStv Consumers In More African Countries

Beginning in March 2022, the SuperSport channel in Ethiopia – SuperSport Liyu – will herald the start of a bold new foray into Ethiopian football. The channel is likely to be added as a pop-up as it was also spotted on channel 196 - a section for overflow channels.

Not only will SuperSport Liyu be the home of the Ethiopian Premier League, it will broadcast select matches from many of the world’s top leagues, among them La Liga, Premier League, Serie A, Europa League, Uefa Champions League and the Uefa Conference League.

MultiChoice hasn't stated the reason for the sudden inclusion of SuperSport Liyu presuming similar to Namibia's NBC a special event is being hosted which concerns consumers in other African countries.

June 2025 On ESPN Africa | NBA - Conference Finals And The Japanese Rugby League Finals | More

NBA - CONFERENCE FINALS AND FINALS

The NBA conference finals are the Eastern and Western Conference championship series of the National Basketball Association.

The finals will begin 20-21 May 2025.

Western Conference Game 7 (if necessary) – 1 June

Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 (if necessary) – 2 June

2025 NBA Draft, 25 – 26 June

THE JAPANESE RUGBY LEAGUE – FINALS

Japan Rugby League One, formerly known as the Top League, is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. 

The teams participating in the final are TBC.

NHL - STANLEY CUP FINALS

The Stanley Cup is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America.

The playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 19, 2025, and will conclude in June 2025 with the Stanley Cup Finals with the series ending no later than 23 June 2025.

MultiChoice Africa Might Be Renaming SuperSport Football Plus To Football Plus Canal+

MultiChoice is currently undergoing a takeover bid by Canal+ with local legislation as the two look to tie the knot by October 2025. This comes after both parties were looking to finalize the transaction later in the week with SuperSport that would inevitably become a division of Canal+ Sport.

During the day, a DStv consumer outside South Africa had spotted a channel known as Football Plus Canal+ on their media portal. Initially, we thought this could as well be a pop-up channel of some sort on channels 199 but digging further into the lineup it looks like it will be replacing SuperSport Football Plus.

Football Plus Canal+ has a duplicate schedule and to be frank there's no chance that Canal+ can duplicate this for French audience in Africa. Canal+ Afrique doesn't have that much sporting rights for its consumers and the ones obtained by SuperSport can't be duplicated or at least not in French.

Canal+ through its stake in MultiChoice distributes Premier League and La Liga as part of an Add-On, DStv English Plus. Maybe Football Plus Canal+ will form part of the offering if not replace the latter but from what I recall the SuperSport feeds seen within Francophone Africa are the same ones on DStv.

SuperSport Football Plus could become the first channel amongst SuperSport to get the corporate treatment - Canal+. If anything, it does lead us to wonder whether the rest of SuperSport's offering will fold under the Canal+ Sport branding.

MultiChoice will effectively belong to a French company if the transaction gets approved so local content and sports would be structured to their liking. Let's remember, Canal+ wants to expand StudioCanal's operations through MultiChoice which could lead to the dying down of the M-Net trademark.

MultiChoice is viewing this transaction is a bid to bulk up against Netflix and one way that could all play out is having some of their assets getting the Canal+ imprint. When Disney acquired FOX, some of its assets did get the corporate imprint same with Warner whose factual offering folded under Discovery.

GBA: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl + Rocket Power: Beach Bandits + Rocket Power: Dream Scheme + Rocket Power: Zero Gravity Zone + Sabrina The Teenage Witch: Potion Commotion

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

The game's plot takes place before the first film and follows Jack Sparrow in his adventures immediately after being marooned by Hector Barbossa on Rumrunner's Isle. He collects pieces of Barbossa's chart and pieces of Aztec gold so he can get revenge. While doing that, he searches for buried gold, steals ships, sacks Hispaniola, and does favors for the governor of Port Royal.

Rocket Power: Beach Bandits

The game begins with the characters of Rocket Power about to start their summer vacation. Suddenly, the characters realize the sand in Ocean Shores has been taken away by a mysterious criminal. After investigation, they find out a company called Golem Industries has stolen all of the sand and decide to stop them.

Rocket Power: Dream Scheme

There's trouble in Ocean Shores. Otto has a nightmare that Dr. Stimpleton captures his sister Reggie and friends Twister and Sam. This sends Otto on a wild chase to find the gang and stop Dr. Stimpleton from using his Stimpleton Device to turn Ocean Shores into a seaside polka resort. You can play as any of your favorite Rocket Power characters, including Otto, Twister, Reggie, and Sam. The game contains 20 levels, 30 areas, and four gameplay styles, including skateboarding, rollerblading, hockey, and pogo stick.

Rocket Power: Zero Gravity Zone

Rocket Power: Zero Gravity is based on the Nickelodeon show of the same name, and features 12 environments for characters Otto, Reggie, Twister, and Sam to skate through.

Sabrina The Teenage Witch: Potion Commotion

Sabrina The Teenage Witch: Potion Commotion is a 2D side-scrolling action/adventure based on the popular TV series. The player, with the help of Salem the cat, explore four worlds including the Spellman's house, a giant tree, the Pizzeria, and the school in search of items to help create a potion that will correct Aunt Hilda's errant spell and return the world to normal. 4 Minigames appear throughout the game.

For more games: click here 

NEW CHANNEL ALERT!!! Sporty TV To Make It's South African Debut On eMedia Investments' Openview

eMedia Investments will be rolling out it's first new channel for Openview consumers in over 2 years. After promising to allocate more content since the previous financial year, the broadcaster will be allocating a football based channel Sporty TV to rival with the current SABC Sport.

Residing in West Africa, SportyTV is a free-to-air sports channel established as the home of premium football with English Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, UEFA EURO 2024. It also hosts major sporting events such as The Olympic Games, PFL/Bellator, EuroLeague, NFL Super Bowl, among others.

The channel will sit alongside SABC Sport when it goes live this weekend on channel 125 and weirdly enough eMedia Investments allocated it before SABC Sport on the Openview website.

As some are aware, StarSat got liquidated after going quite for the past 4 months and Sporty TV was distributed on the platform in other African countries. On Digital Media which served as the license holder didn't pick up the channel for consumers in South Africa so this will be the first time it broadcasts.

Questions I think viewers should keep in mind for eMedia Investments and Openview is if this Sporty TV will remain viable. There was Fight Sport, Kwesé Free Sport and News And Sport with the longest being SABC Sport if Sporty TV can outlive the three that can it be considered viable.

With MultiChoice looking to likely inflate DStv prices by the end of March, more consumers will definitely flee their platforms and likely get an Openview seeing as it is the only rival in South Africa. Another with a bolstered sports offering can convince Easyview consumers that rely on Blitz for sporting updates to migrate.