MultiChoice has confirmed – exclusively to the Siya crew, the outcome of its discussions with CAF over the broadcast of interclub competitions.
It's been more than two years since pay channel SuperSport TV televised either the Champions League or the Confederation Cup after the continental motherbody announced in 2018 that it had cancelled a $1-billion TV and marketing rights deal with Lagardere.
This was as a result of a judgement that the French agency had breached competition rules, though Lagardere insisted it would go to war to make sure the contract remains in place.
CAF confirmed late last year that it had "opened an invitation to tender for the host broadcast and TV services across selected events in 2022 and 2023, including its flagship event, the TotalEnergies CAF African Cup of Nations in Cameroon".
SuperSport have been able to show the Afcon, and now their customers are in for a treat with the return of the Champions League and Confederation Cup to their screens!
"We are pleased to confirm that we have acquired rights to the CAF national team and club competitions as per the attached schedule. We will broadcast matches and events of those competitions which are produced and made available by CAF to its licensed broadcasters," said a MultiChoice spokesperson when Soccer Laduma approached the company for comment.
According to the schedule provided to the Siya crew, the rights secured are for the following interclub tournaments:
- TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2021-22
- TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2022-23
- TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup 2021-22
- TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup 2022-23
- TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup 2022
- TotalEnergies CAF Women's Champions League 2022 (final tournament)
Mamelodi Sundowns and AmaZulu have made it through to the group stages of the Champions League, which kicks off next weekend, while Orlando Pirates are in the Confederation Cup – none of their earlier matches were televised.
But this is now a major breakthrough, and the statement from MultiChoice also confirmed the broadcast rights for the 2023 Afcon qualifiers, the CHAN competition in Algeria, the Women's Afcon in Morocco, among several others.
View pictures of Mo Salah and Egypt celebrating qualification for the Afcon final on Sunday!
