MultiChoice Now Has ESPN Via Walt Disney Partnership

• Starting today, the 29th of July 2020, MultiChoice Group will be able to deliver two 24-hour ESPN channels to its customers in Africa thereby allowing them to enjoy the very best of US sports.
• The agreement brings more benefits for DStv customers to the table, as they will now have access to channels on the ESPN & ESPN2 networks covering major US sport as well as European football.
• The agreement brings more benefits for DStv customers to the table, as they will now have access to channels on the ESPN & ESPN2 networks covering major US sport as well as European football.

Starting today, the 29th of July 2020, MultiChoice Group via a partnership with Walt Disney Africa will now be able to deliver two 24-hour ESPN channels to its customers in Africa thereby allowing them to enjoy the very best of US sports.

The agreement brings more benefits for DStv customers to the table, as they will now have access to channels on the ESPN & ESPN2 networks covering major US sport as well as European football.

Multichoice disclosed the partnership, Walt Disney Africa, yesterday via a company statement.

“As Africa’s leading video entertainment platform, we are unwavering in our commitment to ensure that we continue to find the best available content to delight our customers, both now and into the future. We endeavour to deliver both world-class international content as well as the very best in local content, giving our loyal customers a never-ending selection of outstanding entertainment,” said MultiChoice Group’s CEO, Calvo Mawela.

READ MORE: MultiChoice’s Showmax is Set to Dominate Africa’s Streaming Market

Christine Service, the Senior President and Country Manager of Walt Disney Company Africa, also enthusiastically talked about the new collaboration, “we are thrilled to be bringing the achievements and triumphs of both international and local athletes, our quality storytelling and innovative programming to a whole new audience of sports fans in Africa.”

The benefits

The agreement brings more benefits for DStv customers to the table, as they will now have access to channels on the ESPN & ESPN2 networks covering major US sport as well as European football. Customers who pay can also see famous leagues such as the National Basketball Association ( NBA), the National Football League (NFL), the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Major League Baseball ( MLB).

They can also now watch live matches from the English Football League (EFL), the Scottish Premier Football League (SPFL), Dutch Eredivisie and Major League Soccer (MLS), as well as other sports like the West African Football Union (WAFU), Cup of Nations, and boxing tournaments included.

A subtle market war

StarTimes revealed earlier in June that it would add two premium sports and one Hollywood channel to its packages, at no extra cost to customers.

In reaction to the raised VAT rates and naira depreciation, both PayTVs increased the price of their packages by the end of Q1 2020, but a step ahead, StarTimes launched a flexible Pay-As-You-Go bundle enabling viewers to pay for what they are viewing as low as N90 per day. It is something MultiChoice has failed to do given the agitations for it from the customers.

While the new deal by MultiChoice has been in the making for a long time, coming shortly after the announcement by StarTimes makes it seem like a deliberate move by MultiChoice Group to stamp its print on the market while negotiating with its rival properly.

Notice that in Africa and Europe, several years ago, ESPN withdrew from broadcasting. This new arrangement means that the channels can now only be viewed by DSTv customers on the mainland.