Apple Looking To Close Deal On FIFA World Cup, Might Block SuperSport And SABC

Soccer's global governing body FIFA is close to an agreement with Apple to give the tech company worldwide television rights for a new, month-long club tournament, the New York Times reported on Monday.

The deal with Apple could be announced as soon as this month and valued at around $1 billion, a quarter of the $4 billion FIFA had first estimated, the report said, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The potential agreement would give the company's streaming business an edge amid competition among streaming services providers to lap up rights for widely watched sporting events in a bid to add subscribers.

If the deal goes through, this would mark the first time that FIFA has agreed to a single worldwide contract, the report said.

Senior executives at FIFA, however, have raised concerns over the possibility of "free-to-air rights", which would make the event only available to subscribers of Apple TV+, according to the report. It is unclear whether the deal includes any such rights.

Sponsors have also been reluctant to commit the $150 million that FIFA is seeking for sponsorship packages, the report said.

The 32-team event will be held next year between June 15 and July 13. Usually, no major events are scheduled during this period in order to allow players to rest in the off-season a year before the World Cup, according to the report.

FIFA has faced criticism from players unions for not consulting them before making announcements about the event, according to the report.

"As a general practice, FIFA does not confirm or deny commercial discussions," a spokesperson for the governing body said in a response. Apple declined to comment.

Trouble for sports in SA

Seeing as Apple is looking to secure this for their platforms being Apple TV+ it's possible that SuperSport and SABC might miss out on the action. Considering that MultiChoice opted to minimize the sports on Showmax its likely that it could be televised. 

Provided that SuperSport licenses the rights from Apple same goes for the SABC as opposed to running through SuperSport. This comes after eMedia Investments had won a broadcasting dispute against MultiChoice in regards to the Rugby World Cup.

Although this news may seem pleasing to some readers, in other countries you have most sporting events from SuperSport viewed on multiple platforms (additional fees) while in South Africa it was under one tile (one fee).

The Canal+ Effect: How The French Company Might Arrange MultiChoice Going Forward?

As some readers are aware, Canal+ is looking to finalize a takeover deal with MultiChoice. This sees Mzansi Magic, KykNET and Africa Magic under the management of a French based company Vivendi whose been looking to build their global portfolio. 

There's been many questions as to how Canal+ will align MultiChoice's assets and below is what we believe could be the final outcome:

StudioCanal

As the name implies, StudioCanal is a French based film production and distribution company that currently owns the third largest film library in the world. This is where ROK Studios resided after it was acquired in 2019 with MultiChoice Studios to follow. 

Interesting enough, StudioCanal also offers subsidiaries of the same name within Austria, Germany and the UK. If I had to guess StudioCanal Africa could be on the final piece of this puzzle.

MultiChoice Studios resides within 22 million households while StudioCanal resides within 8 million. Combining this would make it an African powerhouse and probably leading Africa to have its own subsidiary within the French company. 

StudioCanal is also home to the linear ROK channel and will likely be where Mzansi Magic, Africa Magic and KykNET reside.

M7 Group/Canal+ Luxembourg S.à.r.l.

M7 Group is a Luxembourg based and also one of Europe's leading pay-tv operators offering culture and language specific packages in eight countries including Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. 

As we've seen in recent years, Canal+ has been buying out companies as a means to expand. MultiChoice's DStv and GOtv packages would serve as distant relatives and also another means to get the M7 Group services into Africa.

Metropolitan France/Canal+ Premium

This section is dedicated to their linear offering which consist of self titled brands part of which reside in Africa like Canal+ Discover and Canal+ Sport. Even SPI International brands like FilmBox Africa and even FightBox have a dedicated section in this category. 

In terms of content, M-Net and SuperSport will be handled under this section. They are expected to be remain in operation but as far as branding is concerned that is yet to be determined. 

M-Net had been pivoting toward streaming in recent years by reducing their movie offering even shutting down their secondary network Me. If you look at it, M-Net could get a proper send-off or at least by name ideally it could rebrand to Canal+ Premium/Canal+ First.

Thereafter, M-Net could remain as a trademark for a collection of local channels like Pearl Magic, Africa Magic and Maisha Magic. Never got the sense in having M-Net as a singular brand and also for a collection of locally curated channels.

If the plan was to incorporate the Canal+ trademark on sports ideally Canal+ SuperSport would make a lot of sense. This is something that they could apply temporarily and overtime simplify the name to Canal+ Sport to get viewers accustomed. 

Pending Investigation: The Competition Tribunal Orders MultiChoice To Televise Their Sporting Content To Openview Consumers

The Competition Tribunal has granted interim relief to eMedia in its fight with MultiChoice over the carriage of sublicensed sports from the SABC on its Openview free-to-air satellite platform.

eMedia took MultiChoice, which owns SuperSport, to the Competition Commission last year after the pay-television broadcaster refused to allow the SABC to broadcast rugby and cricket games on its channels it broadcasts via Openview.

According to a statement by the tribunal on Monday, eMedia has accused MultiChoice of “abusing its alleged dominant position by concluding anticompetitive and restrictive sublicensing agreements with the SABC”.

“eMedia alleges that MultiChoice prevents the SABC from broadcasting major sporting events (such as rugby and cricket games – including World Cup tournaments), sublicensed to the SABC, on the SABC’s channels carried on eMedia’s Openview platform.”

eMedia lodged a complaint with the Competition Commission last year and subsequently also sought interim relief from the tribunal to “stop MultiChoice from enforcing the restriction in existing sublicensing agreements or including such restrictions in any new sublicensing agreements until the merits of the case are decided”.

“The tribunal has granted eMedia interim relief pending the final determination of its complaint to the commission, or for a period of six months, whichever occurs first,” it said.

SuperSport Vs. Canal+ Sport: Who Is Likely To Survive Canal+ Potential Takeover Of MultiChoice?

Canal+ Sport is a French based sports broadcaster owned by Canal+ that offers services in parts of Europe and Africa. Similar to the likes of SuperSport, Canal+ Sport also comprises of various linear channels featuring football, rugby motorsport and basketball. 

Last month, it was reported that Canal+ had increased its offer to takeover DStv by 19% with a sum of R35,9 billion. This comes after their initial offering of R32 billion was rejected with the Takeover Regulation Panel (TRP) ordering them to propose a new deal.

As some readers are aware, South African laws limit the ownership of businesses to foreign entities with Canal+ voting rights reduced to 20%. Although, they'd have majority stake of the company they wouldn't be able to exercise that level of ownership.

Since news of Canal+ possible takeover of MultiChoice came about, several consumers have been very skeptical about this ordeal. With some very keen on the fate awaiting several brands such as SuperSport for instance.

SuperSport is the biggest player in the world of sports across the African market. It is home to major sporting events such as Premier League, PSL, La Liga, MotoGP, Formula E and WWE most of which aren't accessible on Canal+ Sport.

Even if Canal+ was successful in obtaining MultiChoice most of the company's assets could remain intact this includes SuperSport. It has more reach in the market Canal+ also resides and offers sporting events Canal+ Sport was unable to retain due to exclusivity. 

Regions with Canal+ Sport will most likely see content from SuperSport surface on their channels and overtime fold under the trademark.

News Shorts: A Rebroadcast Of Game Of Love Launches On Star Life, WWE Channel Extends Its Reach To DStv Ahead Of WrestleMania And Vodacom Will No Longer Offer Facebook Free Mode

Game Of Love returns to Star Life

The series celebrates the extended relations particular with Indian family set up while it follows the lives of three brothers as they navigate through life, career, family and falling in love. The show first follows the bond between the brothers and then shifts to the bonds they share with their significant others.

Game Of Love (Ishqbaaz) will start on 25 March replacing The Inseparables.

WWE Channel extends reach to DStv Access

With the school holidays around the corner, SuperSport will be opening up the WWE Channel to DStv Access from 28 March to 8 April as fans gear up for WrestleMania. Consumers will be able to browse various content such as This Is Awesome and WWE 24.

Prior to this, MultiChoice will be removing M-Net's Me And 1Magic channels alongside Ginx eSports TV on the DStv platform by the end of March.

Vodacom ends free mode on Facebook 

During the week, several Facebook users were alarmed after reports had surfaced that the free version to their service would end on 31 March 2024. With some confusing it for Meta when in reality Vodacom is ending its basic Free Flex campaign.

From 1st April, anyone who wishes to continue using their service would need to allocate airtime in order to get 15mb of Facebook data. Such endeavors had already been seen with other networks such as MTN.

News Shorts: SuperSport Motorsport Opens Up To DStv Compact And Compact Plus Customers In Time For The F1 Season, Undercover Billionaire Returns On Discovery Family For Season 2 And PBS Kids Loads Up On Civics And Media Literacy With New Shorts

Undercover Billionaire returns for season 2

With just $100 in their pockets, three business titans are dropped in unfamiliar cities, stripped of their names, money and contacts and given a simple challenge: Build a $1 million business in just 90 days.

First TX: 13 March 

TX Day: Weekdays 

TX Time: 19:40

SuperSport Motorsport opening up to more DStv customers

The 2024 Formula 1 season will be the longest campaign on record with 24 races and six Sprint events from March 2nd to December 8th. There were 24 races planned for 2023, but the cancellation of the Chinese GP due to COVID-travel restrictions and Emilia Romagna due to floods reduced the number to 22.

MultiChoice will be making the F1 on SuperSport Motorsport accessible to DStv Compact+ and Compact from 28 February to 11 March.

PBS KIDS enters the classroom

PBS KIDS has commissioned a collection of themed content touching on civics and media literacy in order to address a learning gap that isn’t being well-served by the US school system.

On the greenlit list is Sesame Workshop’s new series of 20 Together We Can music videos for four-to-eight-year-olds, exploring topics such as rights, voting and what it means to be part of a community. 

PBS KIDS is also reupping its civics-focused City Island series of three-minute shorts for a second season, plus working on a City Island Sings spinoff (10 music videos). The next batch of 20 City Island episodes will tackle media literacy topics like news, advertising and fact-based reporting for six to 10s in an expanded 2D-animated story world.

Recap To The Month: Could MultiChoice Look To Close/Restructure The DStv Compact And Compact+ Onto Existing Bouquet As SuperSport La Liga And SuperSport PSL Rolls Out On DStv Family And Access?

In the waking hours of NWTV and One Freestate Televisual silent dismissal from the DStv platform. MultiChoice added SuperSport La Liga to DStv Family and Access and word going around is that SuperSport PSL is next victim to have been purged to these consumers.

Similar to La Liga, PSL was being curated for MultiChoice's mid tier market being Compact. As seen in a recent conversation with several consumers, it appears that the Access households is gradually phasing the Compact as this would be the third sports channel.

In December, MultiChoice extended the reach of ESPN 1 to Access and also made it accessible to GOtv consumers in selected countries. Since last month, various questions have been looming around regarding some of the recent developments to have occured on their platforms.

As some readers are aware, MultiChoice was slated to axe 1Magic and Me earlier in the month. There was no plans to substitute the content immediately after they went dark leading to the possibility that M-Net could be extending its reach to more households I mean it wouldn't seem far fetched.

M-Net has been losing viewers on a yearly basis and this is due to rise in costs and existing competitors such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. I mean if MultiChoice were able to add La Liga and PSL to Access what's stopping M-Net from finding its way to more households.

If there's one thing that some of these developments could be hinting at would be a possible restructure to their services. Similar to the premium market, Compact hasn't been in the best shape and with the current economic climate things aren't looking well for DStv.

The only consumers I'm not expecting any of these changes to affect would be their lower mass market which range from Family to Easyview. There's been a surge in consumers although MultiChoice is discreet on figures for each individual package as seen with their mid tier market.

As for Compact and Premium, those numbers continue to decline and with channels like Trace Urban, E! Entertainment and ESPN 1 finding their way to more households and reducing the value of these packages. A possible restructure to this line-up wouldn't seem far fetched.

Through financial records, Compact+ is regarded as premium and with 1Magic's possible demise it could revert to that. As for Compact, MultiChoice could merge it with Family under on its tile and separating it from Access and Easyview I mean the offering is almost identical.

About SuperSport PSL

SuperSport PSL focuses mainly on domestic soccer matches in South Africa and other African countries

through live broadcasts, magazine shows and

highlights. Aside from Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches, it is also home to various PSL themed programs like PSL News.

As reported, MultiChoice extended the reach of SuperSport PSL to their DStv Family customers across Southern Africa including Namibia and Botswana while in South Africa it is also available on DStv Access.

When WWE Will Start Streaming Exclusively On Netflix And Exit SuperSport, DStv And GOtv Across Africa?

Last month, it was reported US streaming giant Netflix that it had acquired the broadcasting rights for WWE shows and specials in the US, Canada, Latin America and other international markets. With growing fears looming around DStv, MultiChoice had issued a statement.

"WWE events, including RAW, Smackdown, NXT, Wrestlemania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble will continue being available on SuperSport".  "As Africa's premium sports broadcaster, we're pleased to continue entertaining our viewers with the best in international wrestling".

In November 2022, MultiChoice and the WWE announced a major broadcast partnership and said in a statement that it will see Showmax becoming the new home of WWE Network in Africa. Only the streaming portion never to pass as seen with the linear offering on DStv.

Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America, with more territories to be confirmed soon and others added overtime. Raw will be exiting linear television since it's inception 31 years ago.

Although Netflix won't get access to WWE's extensive line-up of shows when it streams in selected territories by 2025 due to an existing agreement with MultiChoice. They may be able to snatch the rights from the pay-tv company once it expires in 2027.

This means Netflix can only become the official home of the WWE Network in Africa two years after it launched elsewhere meaning by late 2027 or early 2028. Raw, SmackDown and various other content from WWE would have exited linear television after 26/7 years in Africa.

News Shorts: MultiChoice Silently Adds SuperSport La Liga To DStv Access Consumers, Eureka! Cancelled After One Season On Disney Junior And Telenovela Channel Phillipines To Close By The End Of February

SuperSport La Liga on Access

Home of the Spanish La Liga & UEFA Europa League while also showcasing overflow matches from the UEFA Champions League. Several DStv consumers had spotted the channel on their package alongside Zee World, Star Life, and various others.

In an enquiry to MultiChoice, they mention that SuperSport La Liga will be opened until further notice (likely permanent) while all other channels will remain temporarily. Taking to account that NWTV and One Freestate Televisual had closed these channels are probably a distraction.

MultiChoice will be announcing their new annual prices which will come into affect from April. With these recent closures of channels, one has to wonder if MultiChoice has more developments up their sleeves aside from cost adjustments.

Another bites the dust

Eureka! is an American-Irish animated children's television series produced by Brown Bag Films. It premiered on Disney Junior in the United States on June 22, 2022. Set in the Stone Age within the location of Rocky Falls, it followed the eponymous girl Eureka who enjoys going on adventures and building gadgets.

According to Disney TVA News, Eureka! had been quietly cancelled after one season at Disney Junior, many members of the crew moved to Robogobo and non-Disney shows at Brown Bag Films. It would join The Ghost And Molly McGee, Secret Of Sulphur Springs and Bunk'd as shows to have been axed by the network.

Disney is focusing on building out its multicam strategy and that includes prioritising shows that are based on Disney-owned IP, and creating global tentpole programming.

Telenovela Channel Phillipines to go dark

Telenovela Channel served as the first and only telenovela channel in the Phillipines in 2011. Owned by Beginnings at Twenty Plus, Inc. with the partnership of Grupo Televisa would broadcast various Mexican dramas viewed on TLNovelas including Sortilego, La Rosa De Guadalupe and Las Amazonas.

After 12 years, it was reported the channel's website that Telenovela Channel Phillipines will end transmission after 12 years by the end of February which would coincide with the closure of Disney Junior in the Nordic market as further content integrates with Disney Channel.

End Of The Road For SuperSport And WWE??? As Netflix Banks On RAW, SmackDown, NXT And Premium Live PPVs

In 2022, MultiChoice and WWE were looking to bundle Raw, SmackDown, NXT alongside various PPVs like WrestleMania and SummerSlam on Showmax. But the deal appeared to have fallen flat as this never materialized with the streamer now partially owned by Comcast.

After e.tv halted further distribution of Raw, SmackDown and various other WWE content from their platforms in 2017. SuperSport became the official home to the WWE Network for the past 7 years and all of that is likely to change in the coming future.

As reported moments ago, Netflix had exclusive rights to Raw and various other content from WWE which will start streaming in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America beginning January 2025. There are plans underway to add more international markets to the lineup.

This puts SuperSport's current linear offering in a precarious position especially the WWE Channel. As Netflix scooped up WWE’s award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects alongside the premier shows Raw, SmackDown and NXT.

The mere thought of less sporting events on SuperSport wouldn't seem far fetched a stretch. Initially, they weren't going to broadcast AFCON as they were more focused on European football even the rebranded Showmax service will only feature Premier League.

Last year, MultiChoice shuttered Showmax PRO which served as digital counterpart for SuperSport with La Liga, PSL and various other sporting content. Now the streamer will only offer a price plan for Premier League while further sports can be streamed on DStv Stream.

 

As mentioned, Netflix will become the exclusive home to WWE in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America by January 2025. It's currently unknown whether WWE will be purged on Netflix for consumers across Africa at the same time.

Its also possible that SuperSport could slide in a better deal but from what we've already seen in the past months there's some doubts. Another would be for Raw, SmackDown and NXT to be retained on the platform alongside PPVs with everything else on streaming.

SuperSport is structured for first run programming and not delayed or week old sporting events. With the possible discontinuation of channel 128 alongside various content from WWE, I wouldn't be shocked if MultiChoice were to add SuperSport Action in place.

SuperSport Action serves as an alternative offering to WWE as it broadcasts a range of extreme sports as well as major boxing matches and EFC mixed martial arts programming. They are also home to UFC which alongside WWE are owned by TKO Group Holdings.

Netflix To Become The Exclusive Home Of WWE Network Beginning In 2025

WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc., and Netflix today announced a long-term partnership that will bring WWE’s flagship weekly program – Raw – to the world’s leading entertainment service. This marks a major programming shift as Raw leaves linear television for the first time since its inception 31 years ago. 

Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions to be added over time. Likewise, as part of the agreement, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. WWE’s award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025. 

“This deal is transformative,” said Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO. “It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years. Our partnership fundamentally alters and strengthens the media landscape, dramatically expands the reach of WWE, and brings weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix.”

“We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. “By combining our reach, recommendations, and fandom with WWE, we’ll be able to deliver more joy and value for their audiences and our members. Raw is the best of sports entertainment, blending great characters and storytelling with live action 52 weeks a year and we’re thrilled to be in this long-term partnership with WWE.”

“In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “We believe Netflix, as one of the world’s leading entertainment brands, is the ideal long-term home for Raw’s live, loyal, and ever-growing fan base." 

With 1,600 episodes to date, Raw is the most iconic show in sports entertainment. Since its debut in 1993, Raw has delivered action, compelling drama and unmatched athleticism – 52 weeks a year. Blending the best of scripted content with unpredictable live entertainment, the three-hour show has helped launch the careers of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple  H, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair. 

The show is currently the No. 1 show on USA Network, where it brings in 17.5 million unique viewers over the course of the year. One of television’s best performing shows in the 18-49 advertising demographic, Raw trends on X 52 weeks a year while each new episode is airing. On social media, WWE has more than one billion followers across its platforms. 

Could MultiChoice Look Into Another Restructure/Revamping Of The SuperSport Channels?

In the month of February, MultiChoice will be revamping the Showmax streaming service which now serves as a joint venture with Comcast's NBCUniversal. It will feature various shows from Universal, DreamWorks Animation and Telemundo alongside a revamped sports offering.

Last year, MultiChoice decided to do away with Showmax PRO which served as a digital version to SuperSport's linear offering on DStv. It featured PSL, La Liga, UEFA Champions League, Moto GP and Formula One all of which had been folded on DStv Stream.

MultiChoice looks to prioritise Premier League as part of the revamped Showmax streaming service which will feature all 380 matches live. With the winding down of sports on Showmax one has to wonder when the pay-tv platform will look to hit it home.

SuperSport offers over 10 sports channels which is more than Sky Sports in the UK can offer. Majority of channels are tailored for football with various others for tennis, motorsports, golf and rugby but the thing about Sky is majority of this don't have their own platform.

For several years, MultiChoice has been struggling to sustain their top tier bouquets over the likes of Netflix and IPTV. This has led to channels being cut down if consolidated on lower tailored bouquets as the pay-tv company looks to rollout an unbundled package.

Similar to AddMovies, sports will serve as an add-on and not like a standalone service as seen in parts of Europe. Again, with the decline of linear consumption it wouldn't seem far fetched if MultiChoice were to look at restructuring the sports line-up on DStv.

Earlier, they opted not to acquire AFCON granting the rights to SABC and StarTimes. According to sources, they want put more emphasis on European football which kind of brings questions pertaining to the future of PSL and La Liga standalone services.

As mentioned, Sky Sports doesn't have that much of a wider linear offering if anything it's more like how SuperSport previously set up their content. Instead of golf and tennis operating as separate entities it's more like how SuperSport Variety is currently set up.

If anything, Sky Sports' linear offering revolves on dominance which is football, rugby and cricket while some other sports are packaged like SuperSport Variety.

With SuperSport prioritising European football, perhaps La Liga and PSL will be folded under one channel, SuperSport Football Plus. SuperSport Premier League could serve as the linear counterpart to the one boarding Showmax while non-performing channels fold under SuperSport Variety.

Summary of possible outcome for SuperSport 

• SuperSport PSL and La Liga become SuperSport Football Plus

• SuperSport Tennis and Golf are folded under SuperSport Variety reducing repeats

• SuperSport Blitz, Grandstand, Premier League, Action, Rugby, Variety 1-4, Cricket, Motorsports and Schools remain intact.

• In total, SuperSport would be operating 14 channels with Ginx TV, 2 ESPN channels and Racing240 MultiChoice has 18 sports channels.

SuperSportBET: MultiChoice Launches New Sports Betting Platform

MultiChoice Group has announced the launch of SuperSportBet, a new betting platform aimed at sports fans.

The sport and casino betting platform, developed in conjunction with Nigeria’s KingMakers, is “aimed at being the ultimate destination for sports fans, the betting fraternity and sports lifestyle enthusiasts”, MultiChoice said in a statement on Friday.

MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela emphasised that the platform is designed for “responsible betting experiences”, with “responsible gambling at its core, offering robust tools for gambling control”.

These features include Reality Check, Loss Limit, Timeout, self-exclusion and account closure options.

The platform offers a range of global sporting events, including key sports such as the leading international and domestic football and rugby competitions.

“Sports betting is quickly growing to be a game-changer in the country and on the continent,” said SuperSportBet GM Barrie Swart in the statement. “SuperSportBet will, with its exciting features and its association to a rich brand like SuperSport, set itself apart in a competitive and saturated market.”

MultiChoice acquired a 20% stake in KingMakers, then known as BetKing, in 2020. It later increased its stake to 49%. 

SuperSport Has Failed To Acquire The Rights To Broadcast The AFCON Tournament In Ivory Coast.

SuperSport has confirmed it failed to acquire the rights to broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11. 

A SuperSport “holding statement” was leaked and circulated on social media while the pay channel was still involved in negotiations with rights holders New World TV of Togo. A deal could not be reached. 

“SuperSport will not broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations as they have not acquired the rights to broadcast the tournament,” SuperSport said.

Judging by the wording of its statement, where SuperSport indicated it will communicate any changes in the situation, it appears the company has left the door open for possible future developments. 

“However, Afcon matches will be available through the MultiChoice Africa partner broadcasters on free-to-air channels. 

“MultiChoice Africa remains committed to ensuring football fans in Africa continue to enjoy unrivalled access to entertainment and football available on DStv and GOtv platforms.” 

It is not all doom and gloom for millions of South African football fans who want to watch the Afcon on TV as the SABC is expected to reveal their Afcon broadcast plans on Friday or Saturday. 

In November, SuperSport declined to confirm or deny an allegation it was not televising Africa’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers because it wants to focus on European football.

At the time, sources close to SuperSport indicating it was not just the African World Cup qualifiers, Caf Champions League and Caf Confederation Cup the channel had not secured rights for, but also that Afcon coverage was under threat. 

Bafana Bafana open their Afcon group E campaign against Mali at Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly in Korhogo on January 16 (10pm SA time), then meet Namibia on January 21 and Tunisia on January 24. 

New Channel Alert: Zambezi Reloaded And SuperSport Reloaded To Be Allocated On The DStv And Possible GOtv Platforms

A few months ago, it was reported that MultiChoice might be looking to add Zambezi Reloaded to the DStv platform. It served as Zambezi Magic's first ever spinoff channel which similar to Maisha Magic POA and kykNET Lekker would rehash existing content.

From what my earlier prediction suggested, it would be accessible on channel 165 but unlike the above-mentioned brands. This will serve as a catch-up channel until 31 December 2023 in Malawi following DStv's exit in the market consumers had missed out on content.

Another channel which is set to join the list later this month is SuperSport Reloaded. It would serve as the second sports channel to be allocated on the DStv platform during the year following SuperSport Schools linear debut in March following its acquisition years prior.

Similar to the long-awaited reloaded channel, SuperSport will only be using this brand for repeats of sporting events like the Fast5 World Netball Series, Berlin Sports Running Marathon and even the UEFA Champions League.

If one had to guess this could be a rebranded (or temporary) version of the current SuperSport Play channel that was only exclusive to DStv Easyview consumers on DStv Stream. It's currently unknown whether it would be made available to the same consumers or move up to Access.

News Shorts: SuperSport's WWE Channel Rolls Out A Brand New On Air Logo, Krishi Rumoured To Make Freemium Debut On Zee One And eVOD To Stream Mother Led Drama From October 17

WWE Channel is going through some changes

It started out as pop-up channel known as SuperSlam back in 2019 and since then had proven to be a popular addition to DStv customers. Featuring live events like Raw, SmackDown and NXT with other content like WrestleMania, Notsam Wrestling and Jambo WWE.

The following year, SuperSport revamped their sporting offering each of them including WWE had the "S" logo imprinted to their name. But for some reason, WWE Channel had to wait 3 years as this was part of an alignment strategy as a means to get the channels closer together.

Various content from WWE Channel has spread across various SuperSport channels and with the brand having distribution rights to their programming it sort of made sense for the channel to incorporate the company's logo as opposed to making it feel entirely owned by WWE.

Krishi to make freemium debut on Openview

Set in Bhagalpur, Bihar, it follows the story of a girl named Krishna wants to get a good education to become a block development officer and improve her family's life. However, she faces many hardships along the way.

It starred Mitali Nag as Krishna Raj, Kinshuk Mahajan as Pintu Singh, Shahbaz Khan as Tuntun Singh, Yash Sinha as Babloo Singh and Shivshakti Sachdev as Priyanka ‘‘Pinky’’ Raj.

The drama is slated to rollout on weekdays at 10PM.

eVOD is getting into mama drama

eVOD continues to boost their local offering in the region as the streamer unveiled another production set to rollout on the platform from October 17, Mother Of All.

Ex-cop Nolwazi "Nono" Mathebula (Zenande Mfenyana), walks out of prison resolving to be an exemplary daughter to her religious mother. She is also determined to be an amazing mother to her celebrity daughter and become a model citizen through gainful employment. 

Other attractions to rollout on eMedia's platforms include the second season of Roekeloos Dade. After being yanked away from e.tv, Roekeloos Dade is set to replace Winter Son from October 18.

Could A Zulu Dubbed Version To Ethiopia's SuperSport Liyu Be In Development?

During the month, Zee Entertainment Enterprises and MultiChoice unveiled South Africa's first Zulu dubbed Bollywood channel, Zee Zonke. Amidst that period, the pay-tv company was rumoured to have more multilingual projects in development with Play Room slatted for November.

Although, not much details is shared on the number of projects said to be in development for the pay-tv company one project that wouldn't come as a shock to some consumers would be a Zulu adaptation to the current SuperSport Liyu which is applicable to consumers in Ethiopia.

SuperSport Liyu since March 2022 has been regarded as the foray to football with the Ethiopian Premier League with select matches from La Liga, Serie A, Premier League, Europa League UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Conference League.

In keeping with the packed football calendar, the channel supplemented football with occasional marathons and athletics, none of which clash with live football broadcasts.

A Zulu dubbed version to SuperSport Liyu would be one way for SuperSport to compete with the likes of SABC whose sports channel has seen a rise in viewership on Openview and puts them at a disadvantage seeing as Access consumers lack a decent sports channel.

SuperSport To Launch Sports Betting Site In South Africa With SuperSportBET

In a big move for sports betting punters, Multichoice has shown their hand by unveiling their plans to enter the gambling industry, accompanied by the launch of an innovative payment platform. They announced these plans at their Capital Markets Day. The company's foray into the world of gambling is set to disrupt the industry and provide South Africans with an unparalleled gaming experience.

SuperSportBet Mobile South Africa

The decision to venture into the gambling sector comes as no surprise, considering the significant growth and revenue witnessed by the industry in recent years. Multichoice aims to tap into this market by providing a comprehensive gaming platform that combines cutting-edge technology, a user-friendly interface, and a wide range of betting options.

SuperSportBET to Accompany SuperSport

The newly unveiled Multichoice gaming platform, named SuperSportBET, promises to revolutionise online gambling in South Africa. With an extensive selection of sports betting opportunities and experiences, the platform will cater to a diverse audience, like its broadcasting counterpart.

SuperSportBet is the Sports Betting Platform by MultiChoice South Africa

Possibly complementing its venture into the gambling industry, Multichoice has also introduced an innovative payment platform, Moment. This payment platform is designed to streamline transactions in South Africa. This state-of-the-art payment system prioritises user convenience, offering seamless and secure transactions for both deposits and withdrawals. Online gambling payment methods are something every South African considers before creating an account to place sports bets.

Multichoice Acquired KingMakers

KingMakers has been hugely successful in Nigeria's iGaming and sports betting industry. Multichoice acquired a 49% stake in KingMakers in 2022. With KingMakers’ past experience in the sports betting industry, it’s almost guaranteed that SuperSportBET is going to be a great experience for fans of sports betting.

Add to this the fact that SuperSportBET will be able to get exposure to the SuperSport audience, and the potential is massive. If SuperSportBET offers betting on the same sheer amount of sports that is broadcast on SuperSport, there is going to be betting options for everyone.

What Sports Will SuperSportBET Offer Bets On?

SuperSportBET has not said what sports you will be able to bet on through their platform. But based on what we’ve seen in the sports betting industry over the past five years, we predict these sports will be on offer:

Rugby

Cricket

Soccer

Tennis

Golf

Basketball

Ice Hockey

Football

Table Tennis

Volleyball

MMA

Formula 1

Boxing

eSport

Snooker

Darts

Horse Racing

And probably a whole lot more.

Not everyone is confident that Multichoice will be able to handle a sports betting platform:

“Multichoice will find a way to mess it up... Gambling is very competitive and cut throat, neither market condition is something multichoice knows how to operate in.” said one user on the MyBroadband Forums.

It’s exciting times if you are a South African sports betting enthusiast. Upon launch, SuperSportBET is sure to have great welcome bonuses, no deposit bonuses and more.

The Grand National Will Be Shown On 30 Broadcasters Across The World Including Africa On SuperSport And Racing240

The Grand National will be shown by 30 broadcasters around the globe, including on ITV in the UK.

Other broadcasters secured by HBA Media and Racecourse Media Group for the race include OTT sports streaming platform Fancode showing all three days of the Grand National Festival in India, Viaplay (pan Europe), Setanta (Balkans and Eurasia), Polsat (Poland) and WeDoTV (Germany, Switzerland, Austria). SuperSport and ESPN Star+ will guarantee pan-regional live coverage across Africa, and South America and the Caribbean.

In addition to ITV, RMG, which manages the media rights on behalf of Aintree Racecourse’s owner, the Jockey Club, will air the race through its own TV channel, Racing TV, to 10,000 pubs in the UK and Ireland. Virgin Media will screen the race in homes in Ireland.

Sport 24 will broadcast the race on 27 airlines and cruise lines, and CNN will cover the race for its flagship World Sport programme while Trans World Sport will provide exposure and news outlets will receive content via via Reuters and SNTV.

Grand National broadcasters

North and South America: TVG, NYRA (US); Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, HPI (Canada); ESPN Star+ (50 countries in Latin America, Caribbean) and SportsMax (32 countries in Caribbean).

Africa, MENA and Sub-Continent : SuperSport (48 countries in Africa), Racing 240 (16 countries in Southern Africa), Dubai Racing Channel (17 countries in MENA), Fancode, Sony Pictures Network (India and subcontinent)

Asia Pacific : Sky Thoroughbred Central (Australia), Trackside (New Zealand), Green Channel (Japan, highlights), Wasu (China, highlights)

Europe : ITV (UK); Racing TV (UK, Republic of Ireland); Virgin Media 1 (Republic of Ireland); Equidia (France); SilkNet (Georgia); Viaplay (Pan Europe), Polsat (Poland), Setanta (Baltics and Eurasia), Wedo TV (Germany, Switzerland and Austria).

Dickon White, The Jockey Club’s regional director for the North West, said: “The wide range of interest from international broadcasters further endorses the Randox Grand National’s status as the world’s most famous Jumps race, if not the most famous horse race anywhere on the planet.

“Working with RMG and HBA Media, we are delighted to attract what will be a truly global audience including via some of the biggest names in sports broadcasting.”

Recap To Last Year: WWE Network Fails To Launch On Showmax, DStv Channel 128 Remains Active In The African Market

Last year, SuperSport and the WWE extended their partnership with the world's biggest wrestling promotion which would see the WWE Network fold under Showmax as seen in Indonesia, Phillipines, Australia and India which have all terminated the brand.

SuperSport would continue to offer Raw, SmackDown, NXT and premium live PPVs across their platforms. As for the WWE Channel, that's expected to continue running on channel 128 but would it be shocking if it didn't considering it was never mentioned earlier.

Vince McMahon, the founder of WWE has been exploring a potential sale of the brand for several months and had recieved a number of potential buyers at the time including Comcast (NBCUniversal), Disney, Amazon and the Saudis apparently.

If you view this from a logical perspective, I can see why this deal was put on hold. If you take to account, the mentioned potential buyers at the time such as Disney. They probably wouldn't want to bundle WWE on Showmax especially if Disney+ already exists.

Although a buyer has yet to be announced, I can see imagine how WWE would operate under the Disney tile. They'd probably scrap SuperSport's WWE and merge it with ESPN meaning in order to view further content particularly archived you'd need ESPN+.

As mentioned, Showmax's deal with WWE does come off as suspicious if you take the following to account:

WWE® (NYSE: WWE) and MultiChoice today announced a major broadcast partnership that will see Showmax – the leading streaming service available in the region – become the new home of WWE Network in Africa.

The partnership incorporates all WWE Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania®, as well as WWE Network’s vast library of original and archived programming available to stream on-demand.

Additionally, SuperSport, the sport broadcasting subsidiary of video entertainment platform MultiChoice, will continue to broadcast live weekly episodes of Raw®, SmackDown® and NXT® as well as all of WWE’s Premium Live Events in a multi-year extension.

Although, MultiChoice mentions that the WWE Channel would remain onboard I find it hard to believe. Yes this channel brings the consumers and revenue but why not mention such a brand in early press statements when expanding this deal to Showmax.

Even more reasons to suspect the possible demise of channel 128 would be Showmax. Notice how they mention "WWE Network’s vast...archived programming" but SuperSport only references "live weekly episodes of Raw®, SmackDown®...WWE’s Premium Live Events.

Most people grew fond of this channel so maybe WWE Channel would be supplemented by another brand that could fill up the void and probably be WWE savvy but there's always chances that this could be nothing at this point.