SABC buys rights to broadcast (some) Rugby World Cup games just ...

8 Sep 2023

CapeTalk

The agreement comes just in time for kickoff on Friday when France takes on New Zealand in the opening match.

Lester Kiewit speaks to Ian Plaatjes (Chief Operating Officer of the SABC) after an agreement was reached with MultiChoice for the national broadcaster to get the rights to show 16 games of the Rugby World Cup including the final.

Listen below.

It's been a sad start to the week for rugby fans without DStv after learning that the SABC wouldn't broadcast any Rugby World Cup games. Deep depression and righteous fury filled our social media accounts... until now.

RELATED: SABC WON'T AIR RUGBY WORLD CUP AFTER OPTING OUT OF R37.7M FOR BROADCAST RIGHTS

On Thursday (7 September), the SABC and MultiChoice confirmed that they have reached an agreement to broadcast 16 Rugby World Cup games.

RELATED: 2023 RUGBY WORLD CUP: IS THE SABC ROBBING US OR IS MULTICHOICE BEING SELFISH?

The six-week-long affair will see 48 games played, with the final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on 28 October.

The SABC will be able to broadcast these matches: The opening ceremony and opening match; all Springbok games; two quarter-final matches; one semi-final game; the bronze final; and the final game and closing ceremony.

The SABC will broadcast the knockouts and final, even if the Springboks get eliminated.

How the SABC managed to fork out money at the final hour for these broadcasting rights is still unclear.

Plaatjes says the back-and-forth regarding broadcasting rights with MultiChoice and the SABC was seemingly "all about money."

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