Coronavirus: Some live sports returning to SuperSport in June amidst Covid-19 pandemic including Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and new Aotearoa rugby event; F1 and cricket tests coming in July.

by Thinus Ferreira

Some live sports is returning to the various SuperSport channels on MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV service as the regulations around various national lockdown periods around the world are being scaled back and which saw all sporting codes and events cancelled in a dramatic cascade-effect since late March 2020 because of the global Covid-19 pandemic. 

Earlier during Covid-19 SuperSport wasn't willing to answer any specific questions around the impact of Covid-19 or to make any executives available to speak about how SuperSport tried to adapt to the "new normal" regarding scheduling and content changes.

On Tuesday, Gideon Khobane, SuperSport CEO, speaking about the return of some international soccer matches, in a prepared statement says that "The leagues' closed-doors policy may take some getting used to, but the television product ought to be as thrilling as ever".

Next weekend will see the resumption of the Premier League with 92 matches lined up to complete the season, along with matches from the La Liga and Serie A leagues that will also likely return later during June.

From 11 June to 12 July there will be at least one La Liga fixture played each day before all 20 clubs play their final two matches simultaneously on 15 July and 19 July.

Italy approved the resumption of Serie A from 20 June after it was suspended on 9 March.

New Zealand's Aotearoa rugby event involving the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders will start on 13 June with all matches that will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

On Friday the Investec Coronation Cup horse race will take place in Britain and will be broadcast live on SuperSport as well.

Next week the PGA Tour golf will return on 11 June with the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas starting a stretch of 25 weeks of tournament golf.

In July Formula One will also be back with SuperSport that will broadcast the revised season beginning in Austria on the weekend of 3 July.

In international cricket England will host West Indies for three Tests over 21 days, starting 8 July that will be shown on SuperSport. The three matches will be played behind closed doors.

Serie A soccer to return to MultiChoice after SuperSport signs a new deal for Italian league football to return to DStv.

Italy's Serie A soccer matches will return to MultiChoice from mid-August after SuperSport signed a new deal for Italian league football coverage to return to DStv.

The latest broadcasting rights pact comes after an absence of Serie A for DStv subscribers for 3 years since mid-2015 when StarTimes took over Serie A broadcasting rights exclusively for StarTimes subscribers in Africa and StarSat in South Africa.

Now the Serie A Italian league will return to DStv subscribers in South Africa as well as through MultiChoice Africa to DStv and GOtv subscribers outside of South Africa, across sub-Saharan Africa, in a new deal between Serie A and SuperSport. The financial details of the new deal were not disclosed.

Serie A will be broadcast on DStv from the start of the 2018/2019 season, beginning 19 August and will be available to all of MultiChoice's DStv and GOtv subscribers, with all 380 Serie A matches that will be shown.

"We are very happy with this agreement as it will allow the SuperSport audience to follow all 380 matches of our league. We are certain that the passionate supporters from Sub-Saharan Africa will appreciate all the stars from Serie A," says Gaetano Miccichè, Serie A president.

"We've always prided ourselves on offering viewers the best football from around the world and the return of Serie A to our screens fulfills our promise of an unrivaled football offering," says Gideon Khobane, SuperSport CEO.