Kwesé & ESPN Ink IAAF Broadcast Deal

After having reached an exclusive agreement with ESPN, Econet Media will bring International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) competitions to its Kwesé TV platform in sub-Saharan Africa from 2018.

The six-year deal, brokered by ESPN’s media distribution unit, kicks off on January 1, 2018, with Kwesé TV becoming the exclusive broadcaster for IAAF events and content in sub-Saharan Africa. These will feature across its free-to-air and pay-TV channels as well as the new Kwesé Play service.

The pact includes the next three IAAF World Championships as well as the next three IAAF World Indoor Championships and more than a dozen other competitions in the IAAF World Athletics Series.

Joseph Hundah, the president and group CEO of Econet Media, said: “Our exclusive collaboration with ESPN was forged on our collective commitment to bringing the best in world-class sporting content to African audiences. Athletics enjoys a huge following on the continent with African sports men and women dominating in a number of categories. The IAAF is an important addition to our Kwesé Sports portfolio as we extend our offering and build Africa’s most diverse sports destination.”