Africa's biggest TV network, NTA secures rights to air 2023 AFCON
For millions of football fanatics watching the tournament directly from home, NTA would come in handy
Africa's biggest TV network, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) has revealed via its X handle that it has obtained the rights to broadcast all 52 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) events.
The broadcasting rights come after the Abuja-based station signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Afro Sports, an Afro-centric sports media firm that broadcasts and distributes premium, live sports content.
AFCON, the largest football tournament in the continent, will hold its belated 2023 edition across cities in Ivory Coast from January 13th to February 11, 2024.
But, sports fans' excitement was dampened when South Africa's MultiChoice disclosed the matches won't be available on its DStv and Gotv bouquets, particularly in Nigeria. The pay-TV provider's plans, for the first in a long time, fell through.
New World TV, a Togo-based broadcaster, acquired the rights to air the event across Sub-Saharan Africa. Plus, MultiChoice said the games will be available through its partner broadcast stations on Free to Air (FTA) stations.
But, for millions watching directly from home, NTA would come in handy, as many would not require a subscription to view the events on cable, especially in Nigeria where the broadcaster achieves an audience reach of 32 percent in terms of weekly usage.
Meanwhile, other broadcasters like StarTimes Kenya and beIN Sports are already on board, with others likely to follow.
