Sky Sports has successfully acquired the rights to broadcast the forthcoming edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in the UK. The tournament is set to commence on 13th January and will run until 11th February, taking place in Ivory Coast.
The competition will feature a host of Premier League players, including Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Manchester United’s Andre Onana, Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, and Tottenham’s Pape Sarr among others. All matches will be aired live on Sky Sports and Now platforms.
Interestingly, this marks a shift from previous broadcasts where BBC also showed ten African Cup of Nations matches live - including two quarter-finals, both semi-finals and the final. However, it appears that there will be no free-to-air access for this year's edition.
CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup tenders will also go out soon
IMG has taken up the mantle for distributing AFCON rights globally after striking a deal late last year. This includes distribution in both UK and Ireland territories.
Along with securing the rights to broadcast this year's tournament, IMG will also distribute several future tournaments, including the 2025 men's tournament, the 2024 women's tournament, the CAF African Nations Championship, the CAF Confederation Cup, the CAF Beach Soccer Cup of Nations, the Futsal Africa Cup of Nations, and the CAF Champions League matches.
This move by Sky Sports continues their commitment to bringing high-quality sports content to their viewership base while expanding their portfolio with one of Africa's most prestigious football tournaments.
With such an exciting lineup featuring some top-tier talent from around the globe participating in these tournaments over the next few years – all available through Sky Sports and Now – sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to.
