Regional Sports Content Gets Its Day at DISCOP Africa

LOS ANGELES: This year’s DISCOP Africa in Johannesburg is set to include a whole day dedicated entirely to African-made sports content, according to the market’s organizers.

The conference’s ninth edition will start November 5, with the first-ever Sports Day taking place on the last day, November 7. That event will see journalists, television execs, broadcasters and sports experts sharing their experiences and expertise in sports broadcasting and production, as well as exploring the challenges, potential and future of African-produced content both locally and internationally.

DISCOP organizers Basic Lead will develop the themed day in partnership with Balancing Act and Convention Internationale du Sport en Afrique (CISA). Prior to the gathering, DISCOP and Balancing Act will conduct a survey targeting top broadcasters and producers in the region as part of an in-depth analysis of regional sports content.

“This pioneering and insightful survey is the first of its kind,” said Sylvain Beletre, the senior research analyst at Balancing Act. “It will clarify the dynamics of the African sports TV market, highlighting the key strengths, gaps and opportunities in the sector and creating certainty for all stakeholders involved in the coming years.”

Romain Court, the research executive for French-speaking Africa at Basic Lead, added: “The sports content industry is in the midst of an important transitional period, as locally produced events that can be televised with minimal expense, such as the content made in Africa, disrupt the traditional domination of larger events carrying much higher license fees. This dedicated survey and conference track comes at a pivotal moment in this trend and will offer invaluable data and guidance to broadcasters, producers, marketing and advertising agencies operating in the industry.”

Diamil Faye, the general manager at CISA, commented: “Sports federations are increasingly called upon to play a leading role in the future of sport in general, and, in turn, the relationship between sport and the media. There are many challenges facing the wider industry such as professionalism, sponsorship, technology, traditional and new media and legal issues. Federations represent an important center point for successful integration of these elements to promote a healthy and harmonious sports industry, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with DISCOP Africa on this essential conference track focusing on Africa’s sports content.”