Johannesburg and London, 08 March 2017: Econet Media’s Kwesé
Sports and ESPN today launched the exclusive ESPN channel on the Kwesé TV
bouquet. This collaboration with Africa’s emerging home of premium sports marks
the much anticipated return of ESPN to the African continent. The channel comes
after the announcement of the game-changing long-term agreement between the two
sports broadcasting powerhouses which confirmed Kwesé Sports as the home of
ESPN in Africa.
The channel will deliver the most comprehensive sports coverage on
the continent bringing the best in sports to African fans through live coverage
of events from across the globe. Along with live sports, the channel introduces
unique original programming including an African edition of the popular SportsCenter
programme, an iconic and hugely popular show with fans across the world. Hosted
by ESPN’s Philip Murphy, SportsCenter
will cover the latest in sports news, highlights and updates in its signature fast-paced
format, which has made it one of the most loved and awarded shows in television.
Since it launched in 2016, Kwesé Sports has continued to shake up
the sports broadcasting industry with its unique offering that already boasts
an impressive line-up which includes some of the best in American sports,
including the NFL, NHL and the NBA. Through this collaboration with the global leader in sports media,
Kwesé will exclusively bring thousands of hours of programming to audiences in
19 countries across sub-Saharan Africa.
The channel aims to be the first choice for fans wanting the
latest news and updates and promises a diverse programming schedule designed to
appeal to even the most discerning sports fan. The exciting launch programming
for March includes; March Madness which tips off on the 15th,
X Games action live from Norway, Indy Car 2017 and AFL.
In addition to launching the ESPN channel, Kwesé and ESPN will
launch an African edition of the ESPN website and mobile app later this year.
Leveraging ESPN’s position as the world’s leading digital sports brand and Kwesé’s
pan-African reach and TV everywhere multiplatform distribution, these
digital destinations will keep sports fans up-to-date with access to news, scores,
features, video, live games and matches wherever they are -- putting the best
in international sports in their pocket! KweseESPN.com and the new KweseESPN
app, coupled with the Kwesé TV Everywhere App, will give its viewers 24/7
access to all the latest in sports from across the globe in a way that has
never existed for African sports fans.
Commenting on the launch, President and CEO of Econet Media Joseph
Hundah said “This is a real game changer. In ESPN we have a collaborator that
enhances our offering to our viewers. We have always aimed to deliver premium
sports programming and we continue to bring the best to our sports fans,
through our acquisitions of top-shelf sports rights and our investment in our
platforms and in how we deliver our programming whether through Pay-TV,
Free-to-air or digital mobile platforms. The launch of this channel is
significant as it cements our place as a leading provider of sports programming
in Africa”.
Added Russell
Wolff, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, ESPN International, “We
are thrilled to be working with a fellow innovator like Econet to bring ESPN
and SportsCenter back to television
screens in Africa and expanding the Kwesé and ESPN digital connection with
fans. This launch is just the beginning of how these two great companies will serve fans Africa.”
African viewers can look forward to thousands of
hours of ESPN content which will be licensed to Kwesé. Including both live
sports and award-winning original programming, the content will appear across
the ESPN and Kwesé Sport channels.
Post launch programming schedule for March includes
exclusive broadcast of:
· March Madness - With the regular season out of the way 68 teams will bid to be crowned
NCAA Basketball Champions. Starting 15
March, the month of March will see teams whittled down through the Sweet
Sixteen, Elite Eight and Final 4 until a Championship which will be broadcast
on April 4!
· X Games - Norway: The event takes place in Lillehammer, Norway and features some of the
greatest freestyle skiers and snowboarders of our time. The world class action
sports action and commentary showcases the skills of many of the world’s top
winter sports athletes in front of huge crowds, creating a fantastic viewing
experience.
· Indy Car 2017: The Grand Prix of St Petersburg is the first of 17 stops on this year’s
IndyCar Calendar. Frenchman Simon Pagenaud will be out to defend his driver’s
championship, as they tackle the street circuit on March 12.
· AFL:
Thanks to ESPN, Aussie Rules football is back with a bang as the season opens
on March 23rd with matches taking place in iconic venues like the MCG in
Melbourne. Eighteen teams go in pursuit of a place in the Grand Final and
the chance to take home the title on September 30.
· Original Programming: In
addition to the original SportsCenter programme, the channel will
include ESPN Films Award-Winning 30 For 30 documentaries, and
a range of additional studio programming such as ESPN FC, Pardon The Interruption, Around The Horn, College
Gameday and more. Kwesé also already licenses NFL-related programming –
including NFL Live, NFL Countdown and more – from ESPN, as
part of a TV rights deal with the NFL, brokered by ESPN Media Distribution
Kwesé also
features coverage of the Premier League, Formula One, Cricket Australia, Aviva
Premiership Rugby, The Spanish Copa Del Rey, Brazilian football, Extreme
Fighting Championship and so much more.
-ENDS-
CONTACT:
Kwesé / Econet:
Reatile Tekateka Reatile@econetmedia.com,
+27 11 996 5600
ESPN:
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