Telecommunications company Econet Media, which operates in sub-Saharan Africa, has agreed a long-term partnership with international sports broadcaster ESPN for its Kwesé sports service.
The two parties said the long-term deal will deliver the most comprehensive sports coverage in Africa, offering a wide range of sports and thousands of hours of programming.
The agreement will come into effect in early 2017 with the launch of an ESPN channel in 19 countries, which will be exclusive to Kwesé. ESPN will also produce daily SportsCenter updates for Africa, bringing the sports news and highlights brand to the channel.
In addition, by mid-2017, ESPN and Kwesé will together launch an African edition of the ESPN website and mobile app. The new KweseESPN.com, and its accompanying app, will combine ESPN’s coverage of global sports with local African sports news, analysis and perspectives from Kwesé. The site will also feature video news and highlights from ESPN and the Kwesé Sports channels.
With the conclusion of this agreement Kwesé adds American football and basketball from the National Collegiate Athletic Association to its existing broadcast rights for the NFL American football league, NHL ice hockey league and the NBA basketball competition, making it the home of American sports in Africa.
Further content will include boxing in the shape of the Premier Boxing Champions series and ESPN’s Big Fights Library; motor racing’s IndyCar Series; action sports event the X Games and the Special Olympics World Games.