The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the country's public-service broadcaster, has renewed its long-standing rights deal with the South African Football Association (SAFA). The agreement, which now extends through to 2028, will ensure continued coverage of matches featuring both the men’s and women’s national teams. Additionally, it includes coverage of the domestic women's Super League and regional leagues.
The relationship between SABC and SAFA spans over three decades. This partnership has been instrumental in bringing football action to millions of households across South Africa. However, this relationship hasn't always been smooth sailing.
In a period spanning from 2018 to 2019, disagreements arose between the two parties over a new contract and the value of national team rights. This dispute led to some of South Africa's qualifiers for the 2019 AFCON matches not being broadcasted on free-to-air TV. Despite these challenges, both parties managed to resolve their differences in October 2019 with a new four-year rights agreement that ensured continued coverage until now.
Comprehensive coverage for fans
Under this renewed agreement with SAFA, SABC will continue providing comprehensive football content beyond live matches. The broadcaster's offerings will include highlights from games played by both men’s and women’s teams as well as interviews with players and analysis from experts in the field.
This extensive coverage is expected to cater effectively not only to sports fans but also sports betting enthusiasts who rely on such detailed information for their wagering decisions.
SABC group, chief executive Nomsa Chabeli, said:
“This is a partnership that has been holding us in good stead for the past 32 years. We have an agreement in place now for another four-year cycle, and what’s exciting about this new cycle is that it’s not just limited to only the senior teams.”
A win-win agreement
This extended deal is seen as beneficial for all parties involved - SAFA gets its games broadcasted widely across South Africa while SABC continues its tradition of being a reliable source for local football content. Most importantly though, it is an enormous win for fans who get uninterrupted access to their favorite sport right at their homes.
The renewal of this rights deal between SABC and SAFA until 2028 is a testament to their commitment to promoting football in South Africa. Despite past disagreements, both parties have shown resilience and dedication in ensuring that the beautiful game remains accessible to all South African football fans.
