Premiership Rugby today confirmed three significant television deals that will see the Aviva Premiership broadcast in more than 50 African countries from September.
The three new contracts are the first distribution deals announced following Premiership Rugby’s new five-year international TV rights agreement for the Aviva Premiership and the Singha 7s Series with RDA TV and Altice group for all markets outside UK & Ireland and USA
The African deals include:
• The first time Aviva Premiership Rugby has had three different broadcasters in sub-Sahara Africa.
• Two new broadcasters in Africa for Premiership Rugby – Ma Chaine Sport and Kwese Sports – alongside long-time broadcaster SuperSport
Ma Chaine Sport, owned by international telco group Altice, will broadcast exclusive French language rights to Premiership live matches, and non-exclusive English-language weekly highlights programmes in sub-Sahara Africa, excluding South Africa. Altice will also broadcast Premiership Rugby in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland via its SFR Sport networks, and also in Portugal.
SuperSport has licensed rights to all matches in the Premiership and weekly highlights programmes and will be the only broadcaster showing this in South Africa. SuperSport has the rights in all languages and will broadcast every match produced, a minimum of 135 per season. This is a three-year agreement from September 2016.
SuperSport also has extensive digital platforms on which they deliver this world-class content. SuperSport simulcasts this channel (and others) both on the SuperSport.com website as well as on its SuperSport apps on iOS and Android platforms. SuperSport additionally shows extensive highlights on its website, the SuperSport apps as well as on DStv CatchUp on the DStv Explora set-top box.
Kwese Sports has acquired the exclusive English language rights to all live Aviva Premiership Rugby matches and the non-exclusive rights to the English-language weekly highlights programmes for sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa. This is a five-year deal and Kwese Sports plans to broadcast more than 100 matches per season. Kwesé Sports is a key component of Kwesé TV, which will begin rolling out its media entertainment services later this year (in sub-Saharan Africa), on both internet and satellite based platforms. Kwesé TV is wholly owned by Econet Media, a subsidiary company of the Econet Group.
Dominic Hayes, Premiership Rugby’s commercial director said: “Premiership Rugby has a substantially increasing international profile as the best and most competitive league in the world. The recently announced broadcast deal with NBC Sport in the USA along with a number of other new international TV agreements for 2016-17 will see Aviva Premiership Rugby broadcast in 200 countries, reaching over 170 million households around the world.
“The new contract with RDA TV and Altice group is an important step forward for Premiership Rugby, not only delivering a worldwide presence for Aviva Premiership Rugby and the Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Series but it represents a significant uplift in revenue for its clubs.”
The three new contracts are the first distribution deals announced following Premiership Rugby’s new five-year international TV rights agreement for the Aviva Premiership and the Singha 7s Series with RDA TV and Altice group for all markets outside UK & Ireland and USA
The African deals include:
• The first time Aviva Premiership Rugby has had three different broadcasters in sub-Sahara Africa.
• Two new broadcasters in Africa for Premiership Rugby – Ma Chaine Sport and Kwese Sports – alongside long-time broadcaster SuperSport
Ma Chaine Sport, owned by international telco group Altice, will broadcast exclusive French language rights to Premiership live matches, and non-exclusive English-language weekly highlights programmes in sub-Sahara Africa, excluding South Africa. Altice will also broadcast Premiership Rugby in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland via its SFR Sport networks, and also in Portugal.
SuperSport has licensed rights to all matches in the Premiership and weekly highlights programmes and will be the only broadcaster showing this in South Africa. SuperSport has the rights in all languages and will broadcast every match produced, a minimum of 135 per season. This is a three-year agreement from September 2016.
SuperSport also has extensive digital platforms on which they deliver this world-class content. SuperSport simulcasts this channel (and others) both on the SuperSport.com website as well as on its SuperSport apps on iOS and Android platforms. SuperSport additionally shows extensive highlights on its website, the SuperSport apps as well as on DStv CatchUp on the DStv Explora set-top box.
Kwese Sports has acquired the exclusive English language rights to all live Aviva Premiership Rugby matches and the non-exclusive rights to the English-language weekly highlights programmes for sub-Saharan Africa excluding South Africa. This is a five-year deal and Kwese Sports plans to broadcast more than 100 matches per season. Kwesé Sports is a key component of Kwesé TV, which will begin rolling out its media entertainment services later this year (in sub-Saharan Africa), on both internet and satellite based platforms. Kwesé TV is wholly owned by Econet Media, a subsidiary company of the Econet Group.
Dominic Hayes, Premiership Rugby’s commercial director said: “Premiership Rugby has a substantially increasing international profile as the best and most competitive league in the world. The recently announced broadcast deal with NBC Sport in the USA along with a number of other new international TV agreements for 2016-17 will see Aviva Premiership Rugby broadcast in 200 countries, reaching over 170 million households around the world.
“The new contract with RDA TV and Altice group is an important step forward for Premiership Rugby, not only delivering a worldwide presence for Aviva Premiership Rugby and the Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Series but it represents a significant uplift in revenue for its clubs.”
