Nigerians will have to look elsewhere to watch the 52 live matches of the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) which kicks off January 13 after MultiChoice announced it lost out in the bid to beam live coverage of the football event.
MultiChoice, the parent company of DSTV, recently made the disheartening announcement to football enthusiasts across sub-Saharan Africa that SuperSport, its premium pay-TV service, will not broadcast live matches of the tournament.
For decades, the company held the rights for beaming the continent’s biggest football competition, which now holds once in two years. This time, Multichoice lost the broadcasting rights.
As many Nigerians wonder where and how to watch the games, Pluboard provides a list of possible options.
StarTimes
Subscribers of StarTimes in Nigeria can access all 52 matches of the 2023 AFCON through the StarTimes sports channels or stream via the StarTimes ON mobile app.
StarTimes announced on Friday it has secured the right to air the live matches in Nigeria and other African countries. Confirming the cheering news, StarTimes CEO Joshua Wang said “we are delighted to announce that StarTimes has secured the broadcasting rights for AFCON 2023,” in a statement released on Saturday.
Subscribers of StarTimes in Nigeria can access all 52 matches of the 2023 AFCON through the StarTimes sports channels or stream via the StarTimes ON mobile app.
Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)
Nigeria’s premier television station, NTA, will also offer live coverage of AFCON on its NTA Sports 24 channel. The channel is available free to air and will bring the thrill of the continent’s football fiesta to viewers across the country and beyond.
Viaplay
Sweden-based media and entertainment company Viaplay is also authorized to broadcast live matches from the one-month tournament.
Christian Ramberg, Viaplay’s program manager for sport, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the platform has successfully secured the rights to broadcast all matches during the tournament.
While the agreement sees Viaplay stream live matches from this year’s event till 2025, the platform will stream live in over 85 countries for 2023 AFCON, excluding the Middle East, North Africa region and sub-Saharan Africa.
New World TV
Togo-based network New World TV shocked the football world as it secured an exclusive three-year deal with CAF to air all of its competitions, including AFCON, across 46 African countries until 2025.
Since New World TV right covers sub-Saharan Africa, it is hoped this will afford options for viewers in Nigeria.
Sky Sports
UK pay-TV giant Sky Sports says it has secured the rights to broadcast every match of the tournament. Sky’s deal covers all 52 games.
Fans in the UK and elsewhere linked to Sky Sports will be able to catch the action live on Sky Sports Football, the dedicated football channel, and Sky Sports Mix, accessible to all Sky TV viewers. Streaming via Sky’s NOW TV service is also available.
Betting Streaming Services
Various betting sites in Nigeria, including Bet9ja, 1xBet, and BetWinner are sure to provide live streaming of the sporting events and possibly including AFCON. However, this service will likely be available only to their active account holders.
Ziggo Sport
Nigerian football fans residing in the diaspora can catch all tournament matches on Ziggo Sport, a Dutch pay-TV network.
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