New World TV (NWTV), a Togo-based pan-African satellite television network, has secured the sub-Saharan African, French-language rights to European soccer's main UEFA club competitions from 2024 to 2027. This deal covers the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, and UEFA Youth League matches across the 2024-27 cycle.
This new agreement expands on NWTV’s existing partnership with UEFA. The network is already recognized as the sub-Saharan home of national team UEFA competitions for the 2022-28 cycle. That multi-year deal grants NWTV exclusive free-to-air, pay-TV, mobile, and digital rights for these competitions in 22 territories.
The latest club competition agreement will cover more than 525 live matches in 26 territories in sub-Saharan Africa in both French and local languages. It promises coverage of over 96% of all UEFA club competition matches across each of three seasons: (2024-25), (2025-26) and (2026-27).
In addition to this extensive coverage plan, NWTV has expressed interest in exploring options to work closely with national broadcasters within these territories. The aim is to maximize media exposure of these popular European football tournaments.
New World TV defeated Canal Plus and SuperSport to clinch rights
The current media rights cycle for the period between 2021 and 24 sees Canal Plus holding French-language rights in sub-Saharan Africa while SuperSport holds English-language rights.
Nimonka Kolani, group managing director of New World TV, said:
“We are delighted to have finalized this historic agreement and are proud to launch the revolutionary new UEFA club competition format which will feature more clubs, over a longer period and with many more matches.
“This new agreement strengthens our position as one of the leading sports channels on the continent covering the biggest international football competitions. We look forward to working with UEFA and Team Marketing to bring the best moments of this prestigious competition to our subscribers.
However, this landscape will change following a tender process initiated by UFEA and its Team Marketing agency partner last November for club competition rights during the next cycle within sub-Saharan Africa.
NWTV already have Bundesliga and CAF competitions in the kitty
NWTV continues to broaden its soccer portfolio beyond just UFEA Champions League matches. Last November saw them secure a three-year media rights deal with Confederation of African Football (CAF). This agreement covers both free-to-air and paid broadcast rights to all CAF competitions from 2023 to 2025 in 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
In July, NWTV also signed a three-season media rights partnership with Bundesliga International, the global commercial rights division of the German league. The network acquired non-exclusive pay-TV rights to the Bundesliga matches in a three-season deal, as well as a package of free-to-air rights exclusive to Togo.
Furthermore, NWTV holds sub-Saharan French and local language rights for the upcoming 2022 Qatar World Cup following an agreement with FIFA last year.
