Reminder: NBA Playoffs Begin On ESPN Africa From April 19, 2026

NBA PLAYOFFS

The NBA playoffs is the annual elimination tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held to determine the league champion. The four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held after the league's regular season and its preliminary postseason tournament, the NBA play-in tournament.

The Playoffs begin on 19 April 2026.

NHL PLAYOFFS

The Stanley Cup playoffs is the annual elimination tournament to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, and the league champion of the National Hockey League. The four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held after the NHL's regular season. 

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, StarTimes 248 

ESPN2: DStv 219, StarTimes 249

MultiChoice Might Be Adding Sporty TV To DStv Consumers In Some African Countries

Sporty TV is a 24/7 free-to-air sports channel operated by Sporty Group, known for SportyBET. It positions itself as a "home of premium football" for African audiences, offering a mix of live matches, highlights, and specialized sports programming.

Since last year, it had been distributed on eMedia Investments' Openview platform offering a variety of events from Premier League, La Liga and Serie A. Most of which is already accessible via MultiChoice and Canal+ Afrique consumers.

Now it looks like MultiChoice might be adding Sporty TV soon but not to DStv customers in South Africa and probably most of Africa. As tests for this channel has been labelled as Sporty TV Kenya.

Why would MultiChoice want with Sporty TV as it a majority of content is on SuperSport?

But my understanding in this regard is that Canal+ took control of the company since September 2025 and stripped SuperSport of its decision making in Randburg as all of this is now done in Paris.

Post the takeover, Canal+ has been very vocal about the difference in strategies between both parties. 

MultiChoice offered Africa's leading streaming service Showmax which rivalled with it's DStv offering and cost the company billions in losses. Canal+ was all about alignment with it's content spread across platforms.

The same could be said about Canal+'s procurement of content they've done deals with Sky Sport, Bein Sport and DAZN. MultiChoice tried piling up these duties under SuperSport and that never panned out when ESPN first exited the African space.

You can only assume with the addition of Sporty TV, Canal+ has taken up a new approach in procuring content for MultiChoice customers. Canal+ is more focused on leveraging of existing IPs while MultiChoice wanted to be that have it all company.

Could SuperSport Be Looking To Revamp The Variety Channels In More MultiChoice Territories?

A few years ago, MultiChoice Africa decided to away with it's Variety 2-4 channels by folding them under Africa 1 and 2 with select content on SuperSport Action. This left them with Variety 1 which is likely due for a major overhaul.

Of course, these changes have yet to take affect in South Africa and it's not known whether SuperSport will make similar arrangements as tests are underway for another TV channel.

Speculated to be SuperSport Play, this channel takes a page of Variety 4 and features a lot of local content and highlights from premium sports channels. It also serves as overflow for various sporting events like Varsity Cup and PSA.

MultiChoice made SuperSport Play available to its Free-To-View customers on DStv Stream alongside paying consumers. Now under French giant Canal+, they might be looking to make it accessible of course nothing is confirmed as yet.

Of course, this channel they've been testing out for a while now had also been airing events live on Variety 2 almost like a simulcast with variations in certain timeslots. Maybe this channel in question will lead to a restructure of the existing Variety offering.

If it's SuperSport Play, I'd imagine they'd want to readjust the lineup a bit perhaps remove all that content from Blitz seeing as it's accessible across packages. That is what happened with SuperSport Schools when it was only viewable on DStv Stream. 

Canal+ And SuperSport Renew Distribution Partnership With SA Rugby

SA Rugby and the CANAL+ Group have discussed and planned a continued partnership with SuperSport, Africa’s leading sports broadcaster, following fruitful and productive engagements in Johannesburg this week.

SA Rugby executives met with their CANAL+ Group counterparts at the MultiChoice offices in Randburg, Johannesburg, where both entities discussed strategic plans to bring rugby fans and viewers closer to the game through the existing broadcast partnership.

The two organisations met for a series of information-sharing sessions to better understand each entity's long-term strategy and move forward with a common purpose and goal as partners in delivering the best possible rugby viewing experience to viewers and DStv subscribers across the continent. These include the immersive experiences as well as storytelling, which brings viewers more of the sports content they desire beyond the live action.

With SA Rugby preparing to stage some of the most exciting rugby matches in history starting in 2026 – across Springbok men, women, junior teams, as well as sevens – the partnership with SuperSport – part of the CANAL+ Group, ensures that millions of rugby followers will get to participate in the excitement.

SA Rugby CEO, Rian Oberholzer, said: “SuperSport has been at our side for decades, bringing rugby fans all the action, including Rugby World Cups, and we’re excited to continue this journey with them. We had very fruitful discussions with CANAL+ leadership in Johannesburg and, along with them, we are very excited about the road ahead.”

Rendani Ramovha, CANAL+ Director for Sports Content in English and Portuguese-speaking Africa, said: “As part of CANAL+ Africa and the CANAL+ Group, we are proud to be able to enhance our existing partnership with SA Rugby.

“Rugby plays an important role in the sports package we deliver to our CANAL+ Africa SA Pay-TV audience and the partnership with SA Rugby is crucial to delivering the very best in local and international rugby.

“We are excited to engage with the rugby governing body to find ways to deliver the sport to audiences across many different touchpoints: linear television, streaming, digital and social media.

“The robust and engaging discussions were aimed at ensuring that the viewer gets the ultimate rugby viewing experience, courtesy of this SuperSport partnership. We cannot wait for the viewers and DStv subscribers to experience all that we have in store this year, leading up to the Springboks’ title defence in Australia next year.”

More Details Regarding The Possible Expansion Of SuperSport Play On DStv

During the month, it was reported that MultiChoice might be looking to add SuperSport Play to its DStv decoders. For sometime, MultiChoice limited the channel's reach to its Free-To-View subscribers on the soon to be revamped DStv Stream app.

We assume due to Canal+'s takeover in 2025, they're basically cleaning house and assessing some of the poor decisions made by MultiChoice. In this case, it could as well be the availability of SuperSport Play.

SuperSport Play is basically a mashup of SuperSport Grandstand and Variety 4 as it sources mainly highlights and local content from SuperSport's premium sports channels. It tends to air replays to certain sporting events.

Unlike Variety 4, SuperSport Play doesn't have any live or first run content which made it the ideal channel for DStv Stream's Easyview customers.

Not long ago, MultiChoice had begun work on another SuperSport channel for DStv consumers. Initially, they used the feed for one of the Variety channels but overtime it had been replaced with a separate feed not accessible on their website.

For any future additions, usually there's some programme guide but for this one it's not the case.

From what I could gather, Reel Africa and World Of Freesports are on the lineup alongside highlights to NASCAR and International Cricket. It should be noted that none of these are seen on SuperSport Play's programme guide during that time.

But what led us to believe that it could have something to do with the channel mainly had to deal with the lineup. 

As mentioned, SuperSport Play very much like Variety 4 revolves on highlights and local content which is the case for this channel. We can only assume that maybe a linear version is starting to take shape as it's now spotted on Lyngsat.

SuperSport Play also took some of its content from SuperSport Blitz and Schools and maybe this version would have that content omitted. Seeing as Blitz and Schools are already available on Easyview.

But again this channel is in its early stages and more could be added overtime and who knows it could be a pop-up. I have doubts cause no pop-up would be airing Reel Africa as MultiChoice has its Variety channels for that.

Is The 24 Hour WWE Channel Going Dark On DStv?

During the month, it was reported that WWE would be streaming on Netflix in April for viewers across Africa, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. This comes ahead of WrestleMania 42 which is scheduled to broadcast on April 18.

The question on some people's minds right now is about the fate of WWE on SuperSport. As it was understood, MultiChoice had an existing agreement which was scheduled or so we thought to expire in 2027 with the latter consolidated under Netflix.

But after Netflix sent notice to viewers, we reached out to them (even WWE) for further confirmation on the matter and this was their response.

 

Starting on 1 April 2026, WWE content will be exclusively available on Netflix.

SuperSport was asked several times about WWE's move to Netflix and whether this would lead to the removal of its content on SuperSport as well as the cancellation of the 24 hour channel and Jambo WWE.

First response: There's no confirmation at this stage 

Last response: No, it is not leaving 

During the year, MultiChoice widened the reach of the 24 hour WWE channel to its DStv Access consumers alongside Trace Gospel and Trace Ngoma. Canal+ Afrique currently distributes the WWE channel to consumers in French markets.

MultiChoice Might Be Widening The Reach Of SuperSport Play Channel To More DStv Customers

SuperSport Play is regarded as freemium sports channel, by free we mean available to consumers without an monthly DStv subscription. All you need to do is create a free account on DStv Stream to access the channel.

The suffix "-mium" is basically premium as it offers a mixture of sports from football (e.g. Betway Premiership, some Premier League matches), rugby (Super Rugby, Six Nations, NRL), cricket (1-Day Cup, ICC events), golf (PGA, LPGA, LIV, Sunshine Tour), 

To some degree, you could say it's a mashup of SuperSport Blitz (news coverage and highlights), Grandstand (overflows or simulcast airings) and Variety 4 (school events and local content).

SuperSport Play is available to DStv Free-To-View customers as well as Premium and Easyview customers through the DStv Stream app. Similar to SuperSport Schools, it looks like MultiChoice might be widening it reach for consumers.

We can only assume under Canal+, this was probably another way to enhance consumer's experience. Under the Naspers regime, MultiChoice was very hesitant in making some of its live matches available on a package like DStv Access.

Now consumers on Access not only get to watch La Liga matches live but also RAW and SmackDown on the 24 hour WWE channel.

Besides that, there was also chatter last year about possibly launching a standalone SuperSport package. Although we're not holding our breath on that best guess is them partnering up with Netflix to give consumers access to SuperSport.

Beginning April 1, 2026, Netflix Will Start Streaming WWE Across Germany, Switzerland, Austria And Africa

Netflix had begun sending notice to various consumers in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Africa informing them about the inclusion on WWE and it goes as follows:

Beginning April 1, 2026, Netflix will be the new exclusive home of WWE in your region.

Netflix brings WWE's electrifying content all to one place, including weekly shows, RAW, SmackDown and NXT, PLUS Premium Live Events (PLEs) such as WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, and SummerSlam.

Many of WWE's top moments, along with historic PLEs and select programming, are available on Netflix, including WrestleMania 42, which emanate live from Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. Don't miss the "Best in the World" CM Punk as he goes head-to-head against "The OTC" Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship.

If you're a Netflix subscriber, you're all set. If you are not a Netflix subscriber, you will need to subscribe so you don't miss a moment. We can't wait for you to experience WWE on Netflix.

For sometime, BILD and ProSieben MAXX served as the right holders for these events in Germany, Switzerland and Austria with SuperSport in Africa. This announcement means that these events will no longer be accessible on those outlets. 

However, we're still awaiting further comment from SuperSport about WWE's early induction onto Netflix. As the current deal, MultiChoice has with WWE was only set to expire in 2027.

After Canal+ acquired MultiChoice in 2025, Canal Afrique consumers gained access to SuperSport's expanded sports offering. This included Raw, SmackDown, NXT and premium events like Royal Rumble on the 24 hour WWE channel.

It could be that SuperSport (for now) still holds linear rights to the WWE as they never enforced those onto Showmax. Another could be that under Canal+, they opted to scrap the carriage deal as part of their cost cutting endeavours.

Canal+ Afrique Adds Four New Channels To DStv English Plus Packages, Converts E! To Bravo

Following the acquisition of MultiChoice in late 2025 by Canal+, the French broadcaster has subjected the company to various cost cutting initiatives. This included the non-renewal of the Winter Olympics by SuperSport as decisions are now made in France.

As more cuts are underway, Canal+ Afrique will be giving viewers access to 4 additional DStv channels. This would comprise of Studio Universal and National Geographic alongside SuperSport Action and WWE with E! becoming Bravo.

SuperSport Action offers UFC, NBA and international football with 24 hour wrestling coverage available on WWE.

SuperSport Action and WWE addition on Canal+ Afrique increases the number of SuperSport channels on the platform from 4 to 6 channels. This comes after MultiChoice widened the reach of WWE to DStv Access customers in South Africa.

Bravo, the iconic international NBCUniversal channel dedicated to reality TV and the genre's iconic franchises launched in Africa by October 2025. It is scheduled to replace the French version seen on Canal+ Afrique by March 17.

The rebranded channel will air even more flagship shows, including: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Below Deck and its spin-offs (Mediterranean, Sailing Yacht, Australia), Southern Hospitality, Bravo’s Love Hotel, Next Gen.

Studio Universal is a specialty television channel owned by Universal Networks International (a division of NBCUniversal), focused primarily on movies and film-related programming.

It specializes in airing films—mostly from the Universal Pictures library—along with related content like interviews, behind-the-scenes insights, short films, and themed programming blocks (e.g., nights or seasons dedicated to a specific genre, director, or actor).

National Geographic offers documentaries and specials on topics like nature, wildlife, science, space, history and adventure. Famous for high-production-value content (e.g., series with David Attenborough, and Air Crash Investigation.

It forms part of a joint venture between the National Geographic Society and The Walt Disney Company.

Following the removal of BET Africa and last minute renewal deal between Warner Bros. Discovery and Canal+ that led to MultiChoice keeping their channels. The deal appears to have excluded Canal+ Afrique from packaging Discovery Channel.

This has led to the inclusion of National Geographic with Studio Universal serving as an addition on the platform.

LIV Golf Joins Forces With SuperSport And Canal+ Group To Transform Golf Broadcasting Across Sub-Saharan Africa

LIV Golf, the global golf league blending world-class competition with entertainment and culture to grow the game worldwide, has announced the renewal of its broadcast partnership with SuperSport, the largest sports broadcaster in Africa and a subsidiary of MultiChoice, a Canal+ Group company.

The partnership allows SuperSport to deliver comprehensive live coverage of the 2026 LIV Golf League season, featuring 14 events across 10 countries and five continents, including events in Adelaide, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, the United States, the United Kingdom, and additional international destinations.

The broadcast agreement follows SuperSport's broadcast of the five-part docuseries, Greens & Gold, which chronicled the on- and off-course performance, team culture, and competitive mindset of Southern Guards GC, providing fans with behind-the-scenes access to the all–South African team and its journey within the LIV Golf League.

Golf fans can look forward to the League’s first-ever event in South Africa, LIV Golf South Africa, taking place 19-22 March 2026, at The Club at Steyn City in Johannesburg.

The South Africa event has already emerged as one of the fastest-selling events across the 2026 LIV Golf season, reflecting strong demand from fans and underscoring the momentum surrounding LIV Golf’s arrival in the region.

This historic milestone for LIV Golf is a testament to the passion and national pride of the League’s South Africa–based team, the Southern Guards, captained by major champion Louis Oosthuizen , alongside multiple LIV Golf event winner Branden Grace, prolific global performer and LIV Golf Chicago 2025 Champion Dean Burmester, and Open Champion Charl Schwartzel.

“SuperSport is proud to once again be at the forefront of bringing innovation in the sport of golf to Africa,” said Rendani Ramovha, CANAL+ Director: Sport, Content (English & Portuguese-Speaking Africa).

“This partnership with LIV Golf is a credit not just to the broadcast capabilities of SuperSport in bringing the world’s finest golfers in immaculate broadcast quality to viewers across Africa, but to South African golf as a whole. As part of our integration into the global Canal+ Group ecosystem, we are committed to leveraging our best-in-class production and technical facilities to showcase the South Africa event to the rest of the world. This will pave the way for developing golf further in Africa.”

Örjan Olsson, SVP, International Media Rights at LIV Golf, added: “We’re delighted to reaffirm our partnership with SuperSport and the Canal+ Group, which has been a cornerstone of LIV Golf’s journey in South Africa and across the region. Africa represents a strategically important growth market for LIV Golf, and SuperSport’s scale, production excellence, and commitment to premium sports storytelling make it an ideal partner. As 2026 marks a defining chapter for LIV Golf on the African continent, we believe that SuperSport is the ideal broadcast partner to once again deliver unparalleled coverage of elite competition.”

Via the new rights agreement, golf fans across Sub-Saharan Africa can consistently follow a premier global field spanning the sport’s most elite competitors and iconic figures beyond South Africa’s Southern Guards roster - including Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson , Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, and more.

LIV Golf’s competition format, with events contested over four rounds and 72 holes across many of the world’s most iconic courses, is anchored by the League’s signature shotgun start.

The League’s innovative broadcast approach accelerates pace and enhances both individual and team storylines, delivering a dynamic, action-dense viewing experience with significantly more live action than traditional golf broadcasts - all within a four-to-five-hour window.

LIV Golf’s South African Team docuseries, Greens & Gold, is available on DStv CatchUp. 

March 2026 On ESPN Across Africa | NRL | Major League Baseball | More

NRL 

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

The new season kicks off on 1 March 2026. A few big games to look forward to are: 

Knights vs Cowboys, 1 March at 04:15

Broncos vs Eels, 12 March at 11:00

Sea Eagles vs Roosters, 26 March at 11:00

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 

Major League Baseball is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League and the American League, with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada.

Exciting fixtures to look out for:

Giants vs Yankees, 26 March at 02:00

Mariners vs Guardians, 27 March at 04:10

Blue Jays vs Athletics, 29 March at 19:35

THE AFL

The Australian Football League is the pre-eminent professional competition of Australian rules football.

The opening round starts on 5 March 2026. Big fixtures include: 

Sydney vs Carlton, 5 March at 10:35

Melbourne vs St. Kilda, 15 March at 06:15

West Coast vs North Melbourne, 22 March at 09:10

NCAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL – MARCH MADNESS

The NCAA Division 1 men's basketball tournament, branded as March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played in the United States to determine the men's college basketball national champion of the Division 1 level in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

March Madness starts on 17 March on ESPN 2.

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, StarTimes 248 

ESPN2: DStv 219, StarTimes 249

How Canal+ Might Rollout A Sports Only Package On DStv?

Canal+ managed to complete it's acquisition of MultiChoice by late 2025 and since then had been undergoing some restructure. This includes scaling back on services such as Showmax and renewal of WBD channels in Europe and Africa.

Prior to the takeover, MultiChoice was exploring possibly offering sports on a separate package with another package offering local entertainment, movies and news.

It should be noted that this isn't the first time they explored such an offering and they've been very skeptical about separating SuperSport. This is because it wasn't deemed as viable as seen with Showmax PRO another had to do with the pricing.

In MultiChoice's first test run, consumers would have been given the option to pay a monthly rate of R300 for Mzansi Magic, Discovery Channel and Cartoon Network. This excluded the AddMovies offering which comprised of M-Net Movies 1 & 2.

SuperSport's offering on this package was divided between two the first would consist of PSL, La Liga and Premier League while the other featured Tennis, Rugby and Cricket. Both of which were also priced at R300 and those opting to pay both got a discount.

As seen with AddMovies where consumers aren't paying for this as a standalone the same is likely to await the sport's offering but under Canal+'s influence they could find some workaround.

A majority of Netflix subscribers are less likely to subscribe to the sports offering if MultiChoice were to tell them they needed to pay for the general entertainment package. This is what MultiChoice wanted to burden onto these clients in its drafts.

Under Canal+, these clients may be given the option to include SuperSport in their Netflix subscription. For those using Showmax, Canal+ could give these clients a discounted rate by bundling this service with SuperSport.

Netflix and Showmax are basically the OTT counterparts to this general entertainment package from DStv so the idea of them bundling SuperSport onto these services wouldn't seem far fetched.

SuperSport Will Not Be Broadcasting The Winter Olympics Which Is Taking Place From 6 To 22 February 2026

This year, SuperSport will not have any coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, which are taking place from 6 to 22 February 2026.

A spokesperson for MultiChoice, now owned by French media giant Groupe Canal+, told sources that there wouldn’t be live coverage or highlights on Catch Up.

There is currently no official media rights holder for the event listed on the Olympics website. It merely states “TBC”.

After not sending a team to the Winter Olympics since 2018, South Africa has sent its largest-ever winter sports delegation to the games this year.

South Africa has five people competing in the Winter Olympics this year: two in alpine skiing, one in cross-country skiing, one in freestyle skiing, and one in skeleton.

Lara Markthaler has made local headlines as one of the youngest women in the field, celebrating her 19th birthday when she competes in the giant slalom on 15 February. She has also qualified for slalom.

Nicole Burger is the first South African woman to qualify in Skeleton, while Matt Smith qualified for cross-country skiing in just two years.

Malica Malherbe will represent South Africa in freestyle skiing, and 17-year-old Thomas Weir is another up-and-comer in alpine skiing alongside Markthaler.

Dropping the Winter Olympics from DStv means Canal+ is starting to weaken its SuperSport offering to save money, which points to serious trouble for the pay-TV operator.

DStv Premium subscribers are willing to pay over R1,000 a month for a decoder-based package because of its exceptional SuperSport offering.

Streaming-only subscribers on a month-to-month plan pay R799 per month for DStv Premium. On contract, streaming-only DStv Premium packages are available for R699 per month.

Whether it is rugby, soccer, cricket, tennis, boxing, golf, motorsport, or athletics, if there is a big sporting event, it is sure to be on SuperSport.

However, MultiChoice has now broken the trust of DStv Premium subscribers for failing to show the Winter Olympics with a historic South African team representing the country at the games.

Canal+ Might Be Shedding More Costs On SuperSport With The Upcoming Spring Classics

The Spring Classics are an early season event that kicks off the major pro cycling calendar, with Milan-San Remo (longest one-day race, often sprint finish), Strade Bianche (gravel roads, dramatic), and Paris-Roubaix (cobbled sectors, iconic) being huge draws.

SuperSport historically covered many events (e.g., Tour de France via ASO partnerships), but different organizers hold rights: ASO for Paris-Roubaix, RCS for the Italian races. This leads to gaps where SuperSport secures some but not others.

In an enquiry, SuperSport had confirmed they secured rights to the Paris-Roubaix but not Milan-San Remo and Strade Bianche. It's less likely that SuperSport will try to secure them at a later stage.

Rights for these races (organized by RCS Sport) are typically secured well in advance for major broadcasters. The races will commence in March with Strade Bianche on March 7 and Milan-San Remo around March 21.

Fans will have to rely on VPNs, international streams, or other platforms as workarounds.

Several scenarios do enter the fray as to why SuperSport opted to not secure the rights. Firstly, Canal+ took over MultiChoice in late 2025 and had been slashing costs within the company as seen with Philly's Games and World Darts Championship.

Another stems from licensing costs, the relatively small South African cycling fanbase, and rights fragmentation.

Existing Threat Awaiting SuperSport And DStv Customers

In 2024, it was reported Netflix had acquired global rights to WWE's catalogue which include Raw, SmackDown, NXT and live PPVs like Summerslam. As of last year, it has been streaming in the US, UK, Canada and various other international markets.

At the time, SuperSport had confirmed that they remain the exclusive home to WWE's offering across Africa. Of course, this multi-year agreement between both parties was finalised back in 2022 and will conclude sometime in 2027.

If anyone remembers how Disney+ panned out, you had various countries in Europe and other parts of the world awaiting for the streaming service. This was because of existing agreements with other broadcasters.

Then when that fell through it opened up the doors for Disney+.

This is what is expected to happen with SuperSport once their current agreement for WWE expires. You won't have a 24 hour channel for old PPVs, Mzansi Magic and all other SuperSport channels will no longer have live broadcasts to Crown Jewel.

MultiChoice is less likely to replicate WWE and even if that were to be the case it's likely to end up like TNA Wrestling on e.tv. The only logical option would be bulking up the offering on SuperSport Action in the event WWE ceases to exist.

If I'm being honest here, SuperSport has a lot going for itself despite existing threats in the market. To some extent, recovery is possible for them unlike DStv which has seen more content being taken away without alternatives in place.

Maybe I'm exaggerating here and WWE continues through 2030 on SuperSport but if you read between the lines. This deal is sort of being built up like that of Disney+ were some things SuperSport can't prevent from occuring happen.

Trace Ngoma, Trace Gospel And WWE Channel Now On DStv Access???

MultiChoice had been running an Upsize promotion on the DStv platform since November 2025 as part of a 30 year celebration. This meant lower packages would get access to premium content at no additional charge.

Unbeknownst to some viewers was the sudden inclusion of Trace Ngoma, Trace Gospel and the 24 hour WWE channel on DStv Access.

WWE Channel (Channel 128) is a dedicated 24-hour channel for all things World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It offers flagship shows like Raw, SmackDown, and NXT, as well as pay-per-views documentaries, and archival content.

Trace Gospel (Channel 332) is a 24-hour music channel dedicated to showcasing the diversity and richness of local and international gospel music.

Trace Ngoma (Channel 326) is the new home for South African music and culture, with a strong focus on local genres and artists. "Ngoma" reflects themes of drumbeat, celebration, and heritage.

Last year, Paramount had shuttered MTV Base, BET, CBS Reality and CBS Justice due to a restructuring following it's buyout by Skydance. It was stated by MultiChoice that consumers could browse similar content on Mzansi Magic and Channel O.

This was their way of saying no plans are underway to retain Judge Judy much less rollout replacements. Consumers would be starting the new year with 4 less channels.

Since late 2025, Trace Africa, Trace Gospel and WWE brands which had been exclusive to DStv Premium, Compact+, Compact and Family are now listed on Access.

In an enquiry to MultiChoice, they were only able to confirm the inclusion of Trace Urban's other TV channels. We can only assume that maybe MultiChoice wants to make Access the premier destination for Gqom and Amapiano.

As for WWE, MultiChoice had been very mim about whether it's a permanent addition but if you do browse the company's services in other parts of Africa. WWE does serve as a permanent fixture to these consumers and oddly it wasn't the case in SA.

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.