NFL and Econet sign rights deal for sub-Saharan Africa

Telecommunications firm Econet Media has agreed a deal for its Kwesé Sports pay-television startup to become the exclusive linear television broadcaster of content from American football league the NFL in a number of countries across sub-Saharan Africa.

The five-season deal will run from 2016-17 to 2020-21 and was brokered by the ESPN Media Distribution arm of international sports broadcaster ESPN.

Kwesé Sports will broadcast live a minimum of five games per week during the regular season, as well as every match in the playoffs and the end-of-season showpiece Super Bowl. Econet Media will make select games available free-to-air.

Econet Media will also become the broadcast platform for ESPN NFL studio content, such as ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ and provide archive NFL Films content on Kwesé Sports.

In addition, Econet Media will support the NFL in its efforts to develop its fan vase in sub-Saharan Africa.

The deal covers Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Swaziland, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Tanzania (including Zanzibar), Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.