Sub-Saharan Africa

South African mixed martial arts promotion the Extreme Fighting Championship will have its events shown live on public-service broadcaster the SABC for the next two years, increasing its exposure in its home market.

Interview with Joseph Hundah, chief executive, Econet Media, on the launch of Kwesé TV, Kwesé Free Sports and the challenges that lie ahead.

Telecommunications firm Econet Media has extended its Kwesé TV brand through launching a new direct-to-home platform in three African markets.

SuperSport, the pay-television broadcaster that operates in sub-Saharan Africa, has agreed a four-year extension to its rights deal for tennis grand slam the French Open.

South African public-service broadcaster SABC has agreed a multi-year rights deal with the Extreme Fighting Championship mixed martial arts series.

Kwesé Sports and SuperSport will share pay-television rights to the 2018 Fifa World Cup in sub-Saharan Africa after both broadcasters agreed to acquire the rights non-exclusively outside South Africa, TV Sports Markets understands.

Telecommunications company Econet has confirmed the appointment of Jeroen Oerlemans as the new chief executive of the Kwesé Sports division of African pay-television broadcaster Kwesé TV.

Telco Econet Media has launched its Kwesé Free Sports free-to-air channel in Nigeria and Uganda.

Media365 has been appointed by the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to produce coverage of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations national team football tournament.

Ghana is set for its first free-to-air sports broadcasting platform after telecommunications firm Econet Media acquired the free-television broadcasting and production businesses of multi-territory commercial and pay-television broadcaster Modern Times Group in the country and its fellow African nation Nigeria.

Fox Sports Africa is the latest of the region’s pay-television broadcasters to invest in African football, but the structure of its joint venture with the West African Football Union differs greatly from recent deals struck by its competitors.

Fifa and Uefa are set for huge increases in the value of their media rights in sub-Saharan Africa. TV Sports Markets understands bidding in both governing bodies’ tender processes has progressed beyond a first round.

The Ghana Football Association has sealed a 10-season deal with StarTimes under which it will earn almost $1.8m (€1.7m) per season for all its domestic football media rights.

Pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus Afrique has agreed a sublicensing deal with telco Econet for rights to North American basketball league the NBA.

Kenyan free-to-air television platform Bamba TV has launched a new 24-hour sports channel in the country.

Pan-African pay-television operator StarTimes has acquired rights to the top-tier Ghana Premier League as part of a wide-ranging agreement with the Ghana Football Association.