By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK
Kobus Bezuidenhout of MultiChoice Namibia said yesterday that legislation would not have an effect on whether or not expensive sporting rights will be flighted on often cash-strapped state broadcasters.
He was referring to an article published in New Era on Wednesday January 16, 2008, which suggested that appropriate legislation would prevent the ‘dollar-to-dollar’ competition with pay television stations.
Bezuidenhout felt the article took a stab at the more lucrative pay television, and that the assumption was “very incorrect” as pay television rights and private or state broadcaster rights are sold separately.
“We do not make any excuse for being a pay television service,” said Bezuidenhout from his Windhoek office.
The French company Sports Five has secured exclusive broadcast rights of the 26th Africa Cup of Nations for 250 000 Euros from the organisers of the event – the Confederation of African Football (CAF) – which is to kick off in Ghana this weekend when 16 competitors will play for the coveted gold-plated trophy.
MultiChoice Africa’s Supersport channel secured exclusive rebroadcast rights in South Africa, and non-exclusive rights in the rest of Africa.
Afcon can be viewed on the SuperSport 3 Africa channel, which will also flight other matches.
Another coup for SuperSport, is that the Togo coach, Stephen Keshi, a former captain of Nigeria, will be one of the special guests in the studio.
SuperSport will screen six live one-hour specials from Accra, with a 30-minute build-up to each match and a 15-minute wrap-up at the end of the day’s games.
It will also feature African legends like Kalusha Bwalya (from Zambia), Ghanaian Abedi Pele (three-time African Player of the Year), Nigerian Daniel Amokachi and Clemens Westerhoff, the former Nigerian national coach.
There will be four roving journalists following Bafana Bafana, Angola, Nigeria and Ghanaian teams.