Kwese Sports has signed a deal with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and FIFA, giving it rights to broadcast the UEFA soccer matches, 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020. The four-year deal allows Kwese Sports to broadcast across the world except in South Africa, taking sports viewership to another level for Kenyans.
The pan African broadcaster will now compete with MultiChoice’s DSTV for viewers. DSTV’s Supersport was the only one to have broadcast rights for these soccer matches before. Now Kwese sports has given Kenyans another option after signing broadcast rights for live and delayed matches as well as highlights to air on its free to air and pay TV.
Before the four-year deal, the firm had just signed another deal with US National Basketball Association to show live games and other NBA programmes. These shows air on its pay TV and internet platform across sub-Saharan Africa. The four-year deal was originally to be given to Supersport but was later changed and given to the firm instead.
The broadcaster, which is a subsidiary of Econet Wireless came to Kenya last year and in the short time has grown to be a favorite among Kenyans. The free to air platform has seen many viewers switch from DStv.
“As a pan-African broadcaster with the largest FTA sports channel, we pride ourselves in providing exclusive content. It goes without saying that soccer is one of the continent’s most loved sports. By making the very best sporting action available to our viewers through our world class sports offering which includes Kwese Free Sports, KS1, KS2 and ESPN, we are fast becoming Africa’s premium sports destination,” said Joseph Hundah, Econet Media president and chief executive officer.
