The PFL Partners With CANAL+ To Broadcast Live MMA Action In French-Speaking Sub-Saharan Africa, Myanmar, And Haiti

The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, has announced a multi-year media rights agreement with CANAL+, the longest standing and market share leader in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa, for French language rights. The partnership also includes Myanmar and Haiti where CANAL+ broadcasts several top sports competitions. 

CANAL+ will provide live localized programming, continuing across all PFL Global, PFL Europe, PFL MENA, Bellator Champions Series, PFL Super Fights, selected PFL and Bellator archives, and also PFL Africa which will launch in 2025 and will benefit from the prime exposure offered by Canal+ Sport channels in Sub-Saharan Africa, where CANAL+ will carry PFL action live with French commentary on linear channels to nearly 8 million homes.

The Professional Fighters League could not be more excited to partner with Canal+ bringing our brand to French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa. The PFL believes strongly in connecting with MMA fans in areas that have been traditionally underserved in the sport and doing so in their native languages. Canal+ is the sports media brand that lives in the hearts and minds of the French speaking population in Sub-Saharan Africa and is synonymous with premium sport.

James Frewin, Managing Director International, PFL

We are proud to bring PFL to our African subscribers. Fighting competitions, and MMA leagues in particular, attract ever larger audiences of fans among African audience. And we are all the more thrilled to partner with a dedicated PFL franchise in Africa and broadcast top fights with stars such as Francis Ngannou or Cedric Doumbe. This perfectly fits our strategy of promoting African sport on the continent and beyond.

Jacques du Puy, CEO, CANAL+ International

The 2024 PFL Global Season and Global Season Playoffs are available live across ESPN platforms in the U.S. and via DAZN in Canada, Europe and additional premium sports platforms internationally.

PFL is the only organization in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight-class. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. PFL is available on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S., DAZN in Canada and Europe and broadcast and streamed in 160 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.

The PFL Partners With SuperSport To Broadcast Live MMA Action In English Speaking Countries Across Sub-Saharan Africa

The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest-growing and most innovative sports league, on Wednesday announced a media rights deal with SuperSport, for all PFL and Bellator programming to air across SuperSport channels.

The partnership kicked off in thrilling fashion as fans in the region were able tune into the opening event of the 2024 PFL Europe Season on March 7 when global superstar Cedric ‘The Best’ Doumbe took on Baissangour ‘Baki’ Chamsoudinov at the Accor Arena in Paris.

Through the partnership, all PFL programming - including live coverage of PFL PPV Super Fights, PFL Europe and newly announced PFL MENA - will be available on SuperSport, Africa's premier sports broadcaster.

The promotion is set to launch its third international league - PFL Africa - in 2025.

Through its exclusive global strategic partnership with Francis Ngannou, the world’s greatest combat sports athlete today and the baddest man on the planet, the linear heavyweight champion will be an equity owner in and Chairman of PFL Africa, the region’s premier MMA league.

Events will be staged in key countries across the continent live in primetime to meet the major demand for premium and consistent MMA content. More details will be announced later this year.

“Sub-Saharan Africa represents a priority market for the Professional Fighters League as we continue our rapid global expansion,” said PFL SVP, International James Frewin. “We’re thrilled to partner with SuperSport so viewers across the region can watch premium PFL and Bellator MMA content all year-round on SuperSport.”

PFL is the only organisation in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year.

The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30 per cent of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight class, the same per centage as UFC. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development.

PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience.

PFL is primetime on ESPN/ESPN+ in the US and is broadcast and streamed in 150 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.

Development Alert. Pad Na Die Hart To Be Allocated On eExtra In August, Wie Laaste Lag Rebroadcasts Launch On e.tv

After rolling out on eVOD earlier in the year, Pad Na Die Hart will be making its debut on eExtra daily at 19:00 from 13 August. This means for those without eVOD will have to wait until next year to view the final season of Doodsondes for some reason.

Firat works as a Kebab Master with his aunt and friends in their shop in a modest neighborhood of Istanbul. Blind, his fiancee left on their wedding day and filled with anger wants to know why until a name comes up Taylan Günebakan aka Doctor Love, the famous life coach.

Produced by NTC Medya in 2021, Pad Na Die Hart (Aşkın Tarifi) starred Kadir Dogulu as Fırat Karasu, Serra Arıtürk as Naz Soyluer, Cem Davran as Hazım Soyluer, Alper Saldıran as Taylan slot and Yasemin Baştan as Sultan Yılmaz.

Aside from Doodsondes early dismal, eMedia Investments seems to have backtracked on the eExtra binges as Wie Laaste Lag replaces Om Elke daily at 08:30 from 26 July.

Now why backtracking is simple, the weekday morning Turkish slots on e.tv was structured as a catch-up slot to eExtra's weeknight offering. While some like Elif will repeat 15 hours later others like Doodsondes would take months on end for e.tv to schedule a broadcast. 

If one had to guess, eMedia Investments is probably minimizing the amount of eExtra content that is being splashed onto the main channel. For once, they're trying to make eExtra an independent channel as opposed to making e.tv leverage of its success. 

This would further encourage viewers to get an Openview or stream the latter on eVOD. 

Is Canal+ Looking To Abandon Their African Consumers In Favor Of MultiChoice's DStv?

As some readers are aware, Canal+ and MultiChoice are currently finalizing terms of the acquisition as they seek approval from local legislation. With lingering concerns surrounding the fate of MultiChoice's linear offering once Canal+ gains ownership.

But something I feel many consumers should dive head first on would be Canal+'s France services in Africa which serve about 8 million subscribers by the end of 2023 which still makes it one of its largest markets.

Catering for French speaking consumers in Africa alongside Ethopia, Canal+ is basically another MultiChoice offering a range of product and services. It is home to brands like FilmBox and France24 alongside Canal+ branded stations for movies, series and sports.

In the face of this acquisition, Canal+ comes with the clear intention of merging DStv and GOtv consumers with their current audiences in Africa. But it's currently unknown on how they'll go about aligning this bit so our guess on this aspect. 

They'll probably look to first hedging some of the licensing agreements MultiChoice has put it in place in order to get Canal+ Ukishini, Zacu TV and Nathan+ onto DStv. Seeing as these are the local bits of the company it would be the first to integrate there.

Seeing as MultiChoice is being acquired usually new owners priorities their assets but with the acquired company's audience reach you do wonder if it will be more vice versa with Canal+'s local aspects intact.

If anything, third party content such as Love Nature and Toonami wouldn't automatically fold under DStv. Canal+ would seek ways to minimize this lineup seeing as you can't have a Studio Universal and Movie Room if one can cater for the two.

Another with Canal+ offering already feeling bloated, the company could look into making these lineup exist as separate price plans alongside DStv Premium and Compact bouquet. If anything the idea would be to minimize whatever competition exists.

Instead of Canal+ Afrique offering M-Net Movies with Ethopia offering FilmBox its more like getting both one package with another lineup of content either being KIX and Africa Magic Epic reside on the other bouquet. 

SABC Sport Is In Talks To Replace DStv As The Sponsor For PSL

SABC Sport has established that the Premier Soccer League [PSL] is currently in advanced talks to replace DStv as a title sponsor.

This will come as a huge shock to the football fraternity considering the service company operated by Multichoice still has a year remaining on a deal that was struck in September 2020 after taking over from ABSA.

An investigation by the public broadcaster has revealed that the discussion now is around whether to cut ties with immediate effect or attempt to find ways to see out the final year without any severe financial implications.

Furthermore, it’s emerged that DStv are concerned about continuing to carry the costs of a partnership that runs into multimillions per season.

With the mooted change of ownership after French media conglomerate Vivendi, the owner of Canal+, announced a firm offer for DStv and Showmax owner MultiChoice, there remains uncertainty over the future of Africa’s biggest pay tv company.

DStv had stepped in when ABSA pulled the plug on a link that existed for more than a decade as the Premier Division backers since 2007, with the PSL financials at the time showing that the revenue from the bank was in the region of R137-million.

It’s not clear just how much DStv put on the table when the five-year deal was confirmed and announced because the league hasn’t made available its financials to the public since the 2019/20 campaign, which was largely affected by the Covid pandemic.

But SABC Sport has been informed it has been slightly lowered, although still well over R100-million per annum.

What was evident is that there was not a lot of disruption given it was business as usual in the domestic league, especially with SuperSport International as broadcasters forking out R600-million per season.

PSL chairman Irvin Khoza has always been adamant that the television rights deal was the lifeblood of a lot of the clubs, some who do not have sponsors and rely on the R2-million grant from the league.

Talks are ongoing to find a replacement title partner either before the 2024/25 season gets underway next month or in the campaign that follows.

Betway, the online gambling company, has been mentioned as a strong candidate.

Efforts to get a comment from both DStv and the PSL proved futile with no response from either organisation at the time of going to print.

The only communication to come from the league to clubs was last week requesting Premiership teams to hold off on finalising their kits as there was work being done on the new “Premier Division logo” for the upcoming season.