Share

Bafana TV deal worth R28m

Johannesburg - The SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and SportFive formalised the three-year agreement on Bafana Bafana's competitive away matches on the continent on Thursday.

The France-based company holds media and marketing rights to all Confederation of African Football (CAF) related events.

The contract is worth a total of R28m over the period, the SABC said in a statement.

"This agreement shows that broadcasting matches of our national teams is not just our mandate as a public broadcaster, but our ethos," said SABC group CEO Lulama Mokhobo.

"We are proud to have reached this deal with SportFive as it will ensure that South Africans are able to follow Bafana Bafana's progress.

"In terms of the agreement, the SABC will have all the broadcasting rights of Bafana Bafana away matches for the territory of South Africa.

"This agreement includes three away official qualifying matches of the FIFA World Cup in 2014, and three away qualifying matches for the African Cup of Nations in 2015.

"The SABC has constantly strived to ensure that its loyal, sport-loving fans always get the opportunity to see their national teams in action."

The broadcaster and SportFive have clashed on numerous occasions about Bafana matches, with the SABC failing to show two 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers last year after talks broke down.

"We, as SportFive, are pleased to have concluded this deal with the SABC on behalf of our clients, CAF," said its managing director Idriss Akki.

"SABC have been partners for a very long time and we are pleased that this relationship has been extended for another three years till 2015, and hope to see it go even beyond that.

"These negotiations have been long and difficult, but as always we have arrived at a position that works for both SportFive and the SABC."

The agreement will cover Bafana Bafana's away match against Botswana in Gaborone on Saturday.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1818 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1778 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE