Africa

Ghanaian public-service broadcaster GTV has agreed a deal for free-to-air rights to the 2018 Fifa World Cup.

The Egyptian Competition Authority has launched action against Fifa, world football’s governing body, claiming the country’s terrestrial broadcasters are being denied coverage of the 2018 World Cup.

Egyptian Premier League club Al Ahly has signed broadcast and sponsorship rights deals with domestic agency Presentation Sports and Saudi company Sela Sport, respectively, in what it claims represents record agreements for the Arab and African football markets.

Econet Media has furthered the reach of its pan-African media company, Kwesé, by launching its pay-television operation in Liberia and its digital service, Kwesé iflix, in Zimbabwe.

Kenyan media company Nation Media Group has acquired a package of free-to-air rights to national team football tournament the Fifa World Cup.

Social media company Facebook has made its latest high-level appointment as its seeks to further bolster its presence in the sports rights market, with Rhys Beer joining from US media group NBCUniversal.

Zimbabwean public-service broadcaster ZBC has agreed a rights deal with the Premier Soccer League, the top tier of club football in the country.

Pan-African pay-television operator Kwesé TV says it is “committed to honouring its financial obligations to all rights-holders, production companies and suppliers” after TV Sports Markets learned of missed payments to several rights-holders.

Egypt’s Minister of Youth and Sport, Khalid Abdel-Aziz, has said the National Media Authority is hoping to agree a deal that will allow domestic broadcasters to televise matches from the 2018 Fifa World Cup.

BeIN Media Group has said it will “pursue all legal means” to challenge a ruling from Egyptian authorities handing down a $22.7m (€18.4m) fine to the broadcaster for alleged anti-competitive practices in the North African market.

Econet Media’s pan-African media company, Kwesé, has acquired a “significant stake” in the African division of online streaming service iflix under a deal it says will drive its go-to-market mobile delivery in each of its territories.

Pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus Afrique has confirmed the acquisition of French-language rights in sub-Saharan Africa to a series of football tournaments, including the Uefa Champions League, the 2018 Fifa World Cup and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Ligue de Football Professionnel, the French football league, has today (Monday) confirmed rights deals in sub-Saharan Africa with pay-television broadcasters Canal Plus Afrique and Kwesé Sports.

The Infront agency is interested in acquiring rights for the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League top-tier club football competition.

The Federation of Uganda Football Associations has agreed a four-year media and commercial rights deal with local sports production and marketing company Sports Broadcasting – an agreement it states will be transformational for the sport in the country.

BeIN Media Group has recouped just under 44 per cent of its total fee for Ligue 1 international rights from sublicensing deals in sub-Saharan Africa this month.