Multichoice’s SuperSport will not broadcast the 2023 AFCON tournament after losing the rights to a rival broadcaster.
In a statement, Multichoice confirmed, “SuperSport Channel will not broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023…because the channel has not secured the rights to broadcast the tournament.”
However, it noted the games “will be available through our partner broadcast stations on Free to Air (FTA) channels”
This comes after New World TV, a Togo-based network, secured an exclusive three-year deal with CAF to air all its competitions across 46 African countries until 2025.
This is the first time an African broadcaster has obtained exclusive AFCON rights, ending SuperSport’s long-running monopoly.
The statement assured that multichoice “remains committed to ensuring football fans across Africa continue to enjoy unrivalled access to entertainment and football games.”
However, the loss of AFCON rights is a major blow after they had broadcast every edition since 1992. Fans now face uncertainty over where they can watch the games.
The 2023 African Cup of Nations, known for short as the 2023 AFCON or CAN 2023 and for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, is scheduled to be the 34th edition of the biennial African association football tournament organised by Confederation of African Football.
The tournament is set for January 13-February 11, 2024 in Ivory Coast.
