{"id":8156,"date":"2021-08-20T15:14:20","date_gmt":"2021-08-20T15:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/sabc\/?p=8156"},"modified":"2021-08-20T15:14:20","modified_gmt":"2021-08-20T15:14:20","slug":"media-statement-disney-africa-and-sabc-announce-free-to-air-sports-content-distribution-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/media-statement-disney-africa-and-sabc-announce-free-to-air-sports-content-distribution-agreement\/","title":{"rendered":"MEDIA STATEMENT | DISNEY AFRICA AND SABC ANNOUNCE FREE TO AIR SPORTS CONTENT DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT"},"content":{"rendered":"

Johannesburg – Friday, 20 August 2021 – <\/strong>The Walt Disney Company Africa and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) have today signed a distribution agreement to bring local and international live sporting events, news programming, as well as library and film sporting content from ESPN to SABC Sports viewers across South Africa, through its SABC Sports Channel.
\n 
\nWith this agreement, SABC Sports viewers will unlock a selection of premium sports content. The undisputed home of American Sports, ESPN brings an unparalleled portfolio of US sporting content and documentaries to its viewers across the world. In Africa, the broadcaster extends this offering by showcasing the latest in European football and other international franchises.
\n 
\nKicking off this weekend is the premiere of two brand-new ESPN-branded football slots that will air each Saturday and Sunday on the SABC Sports Channel at midday during European football season. The dedicated slots will offer viewers a live English Championship <\/em>match on Saturdays at 13:30 and a Dutch Eredivisie<\/em> game on Sundays at 12:15, as well as highlights from the US\u2019 Major League Soccer <\/em>and premiere football news roundups from ESPN\u2019s magazine shows, including the popular ESPN FC.
\n 
\nSABC Sports will bring the world’s top track and field athletes to its viewers through ESPN’s four live World Athletics Events, with the first coming straight from Nairobi with the U20 Championships, currently on air. Additional events include the World Indoor Championships from Serbia (March 2022), World Race Walking Championships from Belarus (April 2022) and the World Championships from the USA (July 2022).
\n 
\nAfter a successful inaugural season in Kigali earlier this year, teams from across the continent will once again gather to showcase the best in local basketball talent in a hotly-anticipated second season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). SABC Sports viewers can look forward to select fixtures of this celebrated local league being broadcast live on their screens in 2022.
\n 
\nBoxing fans will need to look no further as the SABC Sports will be bringing live boxing events and programming to viewers in 2022, including over 150 hours of boxing content from ESPN\u2019s vast library, showcasing the greatest in boxing events, athletes and moments in the sport\u2019s history.
\n 
\nSABC Sport General Manager, Mr. Gary Rathbone stated: \u201cThis agreement is going to add significant depth to our current offering on the SABC Sports Channel. Our channel will now offer unrivalled content to our local sport fans seven days a week, thanks to ESPN\u2019s great boxing archive and film and documentary library. With the addition of long-awaited regular live boxing events, as well more live Football, Athletics and African Basketball, it\u2019s clear that this partnership will deliver right across the board for our viewers\u201d.
\n 
\nRathbone also added that: \u201cThis partnership will not only give our viewers access to great sports content but will see the SABC Sport Channel and our teams benefiting from the resources and experience that this collaboration with ESPN offers.\u201d
\n 
\nSays Kyle De Klerk, Director: Sports,\u00a0The\u00a0Walt Disney Company Africa: \u201cWith this content agreement we are excited to not only be bringing ESPN\u2019s unprecedented and compelling sporting offering to new audiences, but to also be taking a great step in highlighting and celebrating some of the up and coming leagues and athletes from around this continent.\u201d
\n 
\nSays Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa: \u201cWe are delighted to be extending our relationship with SABC to include ESPN, bringing another diversified and exciting brand from Disney\u2019s portfolio to local free-to-air audiences.\u201d
\n 
\nHow to tune in:<\/strong>
\nOpenview Channel 124
\nSABC\u2019s DTT Service
\nTelkomONE Mobile Platform
\n 
\nSchedules subject to change, check local listings. For updates from the world of American and other sports, fans can connect to @ESPNAfrica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit https:\/\/www.espn.com\/<\/a>.
\n 
\nFollow SABC Sports for more updates on @sportatsabc on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
\n 
\n 
\nFor more information, kindly contact: <\/strong>
\nSABC:
\nGugu Ntuli
\nSABC Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing
\nTel: +27 71 877 0513
\nEmail:\u00a0 NtuliGM@sabc.co.za
\n 
\nThe Walt Disney Company Africa:
\nc\/o Jenny Griesel Communications
\nJenny Griesel
\nTel: +27 83\u00a0406 3444
\nEmail: jenny@jennygriesel.co.za<\/a>
\n\u00a0<\/u><\/strong>
\nAbout ESPN:<\/u><\/strong>
\nESPN, Inc., is the world\u2019s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment enterprise featuring a portfolio of more than 50 multimedia sports assets. It has eight U.S. television networks and 26 International Networks, ESPN Audio (broadcast, satellite, digital, podcasts), the leading portfolio of digital sports services in the world, ESPN The Magazine, consumer products, ESPN Events and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Hearst holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.
\n\u00a0<\/u><\/strong>
\nAbout SABC:<\/u><\/strong>
\nThe South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is South Africa\u2019s only public service broadcaster, and was established 85 years ago, in 1936. The corporation currently boasts nineteen (19) radio stations and six (6) television channels and has aggressively expanded its platforms, to include digital platforms, in reflecting the changing consumption patterns of its audiences. In 2013, the Corporation launched its 24-hour SABC News Channel 404, which has fast become a market leader since its inception. Our news division further extended its services to online and digital platforms with the launch of the SABC News App in 2019. The corporation launched its 24-Hour Sport Channel in April 2021 on the Openview platform, channel 124. The Sports Channel is also available on the SABC\u2019s DTT service and TelkomONE\u2019s mobile platform. As the SABC forges ahead, it will continue to play a critical role in ensuring that nation-building and social cohesion is promoted by acquiring and scheduling content that reflects South African stories on our radio, television and digital platforms.
\n\u00a0<\/u><\/strong>
\nAbout The Walt Disney Company EMEA<\/u><\/strong>:<\/strong>
\nThe Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes Disney Parks, Experiences and Products; Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution; and three content groups\u2014Studios, General Entertainment and Sports–focused on developing and producing content for DTC, theatrical and linear platforms. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $65.4 billion in its Fiscal Year 2020.
\n 
\nThe Walt Disney Company has been in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for over 80 years and employs thousands across the region. Between Disneyland Paris and its other iconic brands, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, 20th<\/sup> Century Studios and ESPN, The Walt Disney Company EMEA entertains, informs and inspires millions of consumers in more than 130 countries through the power of unparalleled storytelling. Disney+, the company\u2019s direct-to-consumer streaming service, is currently available in 17 markets across Europe.
\n 
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Johannesburg – Friday, 20 August 2021 – The Walt Disney Company Africa and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) have today signed a distribution agreement to bring local and international live sporting events, news programming, as well as library and film sporting content from ESPN to SABC Sports viewers across South Africa, through its SABC […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":8918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8156"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8156\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sabc.co.za\/sabc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}