African pay-television broadcaster SuperSport and public-service broadcaster Botswana Television are set to acquire media rights to the Africa Youth Games national multi-sport event, according to the Botswana Gazette newspaper.
SuperSport and BTV are expected to provide live coverage of the tournament, including the opening and closing ceremonies.
Both channels are also expected to provide free-to-air coverage in other African countries.
Bostwana’s Minister for Youth, Sport and Culture, Shaw Kgathi, announced the rights deal in parliament. “The Games will be broadcast live in most if not all the African countries, through Botswana Television and Supersport,” Kgathi said.
Tuelo Serufho, chief executive officer of tournament organiser the Botswana Africa Youth Games Organising Committee (BAYGOC) said the deal had only been agreed “in principle”.
Serufho added: “We have agreed in principle with both channels. They both showed an interest in televising the competition. We are at the tail end of our negotiations, we expect to reach an official understanding soon.”
The 2014 African Youth Games will take place in Botswana from May 22-31.