ESPN to Become Available on Kwesé TV

JOHANNESBURG/LONDON: Econet Media’s Kwesé Sports and ESPN have launched the exclusive ESPN channel on Kwesé TV, marking the return of ESPN to Africa.

ESPN on Kwesé TV will offer the most comprehensive sports coverage on the continent. The channel will feature live sports and original programming, including an African edition of the hit show SportsCenter, which is hosted by ESPN’s Philip Murphy and covers the latest in sports news, highlights and updates. Launch programming for this month includes March Madness, which kicks off on March 15, X Games, Indy Car 2017 and AFL.

Through this partnership, Kwesé will exclusively bring thousands of hours of programming to audiences in 19 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to launching the ESPN channel, Kwesé and ESPN will release an African edition of the ESPN website and mobile app later this year.

Joseph Hundah, the president and CEO of Econet Media, 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.”

Russell Wolff, the executive VP and managing director at ESPN International, added: “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 in Africa.”