By Osasu Obayiuwana
November 11 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have told Insideworldfootball that they are in discussions with Pay-TV operator SuperSport, which operates throughout sub-Saharan Africa, to resume the broadcast of CAF-organised matches on their channel.
“We should find a solution with SuperSport by tomorrow (Tuesday, November 12), I think,” Abdel Bah, CAF’s Director of Marketing, told this reporter on Monday.
In an internal circular sent on Friday November 8, to SuperSport staff from the company’s Randberg offices in Johannesburg, the organisation said: “Please note that due to a legal impasse between CAF and Lagardere [Sports] – SuperSport will not be broadcasting any CAF football with immediate effect.
“This affects the AFCON U23 in Egypt starting today [Friday], as well as the AFCON 2021 qualifiers starting next Wednesday. Please immediately remove all related promo material, and advertising material.
Until now, none of the games of the ongoing Under-23 AFCON in Egypt, which serves as the qualifying tournament for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, have been shown on SuperSport, which is the only free-to-air or pay-tv broadcaster providing a pan-African service.
SuperSport, with a $130 million TV deal with CAF, through Lagardere Sports, is the leading broadcast partner of the African football governing body on the continent.
Only the $400 million deal that CAF has with Qatari-based pay-TV broadcaster, beIN Sport, surpasses that of SuperSport.
Bah also told Insideworldfootball that there has been no broadcast interruption from the Qatari broadcaster.
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