Springboks rugby test match on 12 July to simulcast on SABC2 after SuperSport and SA Rugby deal with SABC

Thinus Ferreira

SuperSport which has the rights and South African Rugby have reached a deal with the South African public broadcaster for the upcoming second Springboks rugby test match between South Africa and Italy on Saturday 12 July in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha to be simulcast on SABC2 at 17:00.

The agreement was announced at a press conference in Johannesburg yesterday afternoon at the Springboks store in the Sandton City Mall, attended by SA Rugby president Mark Alexander, MultiChoice's SuperSport CEO Rendani Ramovha, the SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli and Gayton McKenzie, the minister of arts, culture and sport.

Many media said they were unaware of the planned press conference, not informed beforehand, or called to attend, getting only press statements afterwards from either the SABC, or SuperSport or SARU.

According to SARU, SuperSport and the SABC the agreement to shown the test match between the Springboks and the Azzurri was reached to make everything look good for the 30th anniversary of the Springbok's 1995 Rugby World Cup win.

Not a word was said at the press conference by SARU, the SABC or SuperSport about why the first Springboks test match against Italy on 5 July in Pretoria will not be made available on the SABC.

In reality, massive structural and financial problems remain pertaining to sports rights, the cost and acquisition of that and why so-called "big sport" like rugby isn't seen regularly on the public broadcaster.

Despite promises, Gayton McKenzie has so far been unable to fix the problem with making big sporting events available to the masses on television, with either the government or the SABC that will have to find the money to pay for sports rights to these sporting events when they become available.

SuperSport that has gobbled up essentially all South African rugby TV rights, as well as SuperSport, are both under increasing political pressure to find a way to make more rugby available on public television like SABC channels and eMedia's e.tv.

It's unclear what the SABC is paying to SuperSport, if anything, to televise the 12 July Springboks test match.

It's also unclear and not yet known whether MultiChoice, SuperSport and the SABC will block the match from being shown on the SABC2 channel carried on eMedia's Openview satellite service.

In a SARU statement, Mark Alexander in a prepared quote, says "As SARU, we are working closely with our broadcasters to ensure that all South Africans can be part of this historic occasion".

Mark Alexander didn't say why only this second test match will be shown on SABC2.

At the event, Nomsa Chabeli said "We extend our deepest appreciation to SARU and SuperSport for enabling this collaborative agreement".

"This partnership is testament to one thing: To the power of shared purpose where commercial imperatives and public interest converge to serve a higher calling and that is nation building." 

Rendani Ramovha, in a statement from SuperSport, says "SuperSport is pleased to be able to contribute to the country's celebration of 30 years of Springbok excellence since that unforgettable moment in 1995."

South African rugby continues to drive TV ratings

by Thinus Ferreira   

South African rugby continues to drive TV ratings.

According to Nielsen Sports South Africa, TV viewing of rugby matches - especially the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) is increasing, despite an overall decline in MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV subscriptions.

Nielsen Sports SA ratings data shows that from late 2023 to mid-2024, URC broadcast hours surged by 220 hours. 

According to Nielsen, 13% of all secondary broadcasts - repeats and highlights - were tiered down to other DStv subscription packages below DStv Premium like DStv Compact, Dstv Compact Plus, DStv Access and DStv Family subscribers.

Increased viewership numbers reflect growth in both a core rugby market and in segments with a growing interest in the sport – specifically the URC, Nielsen says.

Nwabisa Sauls, Nielsen Sports SA commercial manager, says "Our latest data shows the rapidly growing enthusiasm for rugby in South Africa and the vital role South African teams play in driving this trend".

"The rise in both viewership and stadium attendance - up 3% overall according to the URC - is testament to the enduring appeal of the South African teams' prominence on the global rugby stage and its ability to captivate a broad and diverse audience."

With overall URC consumption up by an impressive 19% and a rise of 6% in the total unique audience for the URC, additional broadcast hours and strategic scheduling from DStv were winning factors for fans, says Nielsen SA.

The 153 live URC broadcasts drew 1.19 million unique viewers, and secondary broadcasts added 96 782 new viewers with 31% of this audience who watched on the SuperSport Variety 4 (DStv 209).

Nielsen Sports SA says this shows the effectiveness of a strategic secondary broadcast schedule in boosting viewership.

"South African sports fans are increasingly captivated by local rugby teams. The increase in audience over the previous year, as reflected in Nielsen Sports SA data, can also be attributed to secondary broadcasts playing a significant role in connecting with a broader audience," the ratings tabulator says.

South African government to intervene over Sprinbok rugby broadcast block and sports rights fight between MultiChoice, SuperSport, eMedia's Openview and the SABC.

Thinus Ferreira

An explosive TV keg is on the verge of erupting as untenable pressure is building up over millions of South African TV viewers who continue to be blocked from watching Springboks rugby on free-to-air television, with South Africa's government that said it is now going to intervene.

The ongoing TV sports sublicensing fight between South African broadcasters continue to block South African viewers from seeing Springbok rugby tests on television and specifically on the South African public broadcaster - content that qualifies as sport of national interest and importance.

Two of South Africa's new ministers - Solly Malatsi as minister of communications and Gayton McKenzie as new minister of sports, arts and culture - both now say they want to meet as soon as this week in a sit-down meeting with all of the stakeholders that include MultiChoice and SuperSport, the SABC, eMedia and the South African Rugby Union (SARU).  

Gayton McKenzie says he will summon MultiChoice and SuperSport, eMedia and e.tv, as well as the SABC to meetings. 

"We are very close to a roundtable with all decision-makers. We shall not rest until all can watch the national teams. The nation owns the national teams and the owners must watch their teams playing," he said.

"We are actively dealing with this matter. It is inexcusable and a huge shame on us. We shall very soon revert back after concluding talks."

Gayton McKenzie said he "felt anger, disappointment and sadness that so many South Africans can't watch. We need them to share the Springbok joy. We can't say we are a pro-poor country but don't have the Springboks on SABC. This needs to change. It must change. It's going to change."

The fight over TV sports sublicensing rights revolve around money and the millions paid to broadcast these, as well as the reselling or sublicensing of it and which viewers then get access to it.

MultiChoice's SuperSport is willing to pay hundreds of millions to sports bodies, content distributors and licensors for something like the past two Saturdays' Springbok test matches against Ireland. This money is then used to fund sport organisations and bodies, as well as pay players.

DStv subscribers in turn pay to watch this sports content on pay-TV services like SuperSport-packaged channels on DStv.

SuperSport sold and sublicensed the rights of the Springbok test matches to the SABC but with a contract stipulation that the content is not allowed to be shown or be accessible on the version of the SABC channels carried on eMedia's Openview satellite service.

MultiChoice argues that eMedia and e.tv would otherwise get free access to premium sports content that e.tv isn't and hasn't paid for.

eMedia argues that what is being shown by and on the SABC should be accessible everywhere the SABC's TV channels are carried and that SuperSport is deliberately not willing to sell or sublicence sports rights to eMedia en e.tv but just to the SABC.

Since eMedia dragged MultiChoice to the Competition Commission Tribunal which is still to hand down judgment in this matter - the SABC, which originally agreed to buy and sublicence the rights from SuperSport had to backtrack and break the deal to broadcast the content.

While MultiChoice and eMedia are duking it out over sports sublicensing rights, the SABC and South African Rugby are caught in the middle with viewers sitting without access.

Mark Alexander, South African Rugby Union president, in a statement said SARU supports the SABC's decision to backtrack on its planned agreement with SuperSport to broadcast the Springbok test matches but also says SARU support the SABC's desire for Springbok matches to be broadcast on the public broadcaster.

"This may appear to be a minor and obscure issue to the general public but it is critically important to the Springboks and the future of rugby in South Africa, affecting to just the broadcasters but the sport itself."

He says it's not SARU, SuperSport or the SABC which are fighting with each other.

"It was the intervention of eMedia and its demand that Openview be permitted to broadcast the rugby without any financial contribution by eMedia that put an end to this agreement."

"eMedia's attempts to put an end to exclusivity in sports broadcasting rights would slash the rights fees, with the sport itself suffering the most, severely impacting our programme delivery from the grassroots level to the back-to-back Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks."

"It is absurd that eMedia should be allowed to broadcast sport without contributing to its support and development."

Khalik Sherrif, eMedia CEO, says SARU is wrong.

"It is an absolute shame when the real facts of a dispute in which there is a court decision in favour of the public is distorted by a national body such as SARU. SARU should act in the interests of all South Africans and not only the privileged few," says Khalik Sherrif.

Sheriff says SARU is simply parroting MultiChoice's views.

According to eMedia, it is "the SABC's decision which resulted in the rugby not being aired by it".

"It is clear that MultiChoice and SuperSport and the SABC are solely responsible for the broader public not being able to watch these sporting events, such as the Springbok/Irish test matches and the cricket T20 final. eMedia has been in the public’s corner trying to ensure the widest access to these events."

MultiChoice told TVwithThinus in response to a media query that MultiChoice is "sympathetic to the position of the SABC in guarding against free-riding by a commercial competitor and using its limited funds in a manner that would serve to further the commercial interest of a private commercial entity".

"The allegation that SuperSport gave too little time for eMedia to bid for the rights is completely false."

"Despite having known about the test matches for months, eMedia belatedly approached SuperSport to inquire about the rights and, after being probed, made an offer to sublicense the rights."

"Their bid was inferior to what the SABC offered and was therefore rejected. Even as late as last week, eMedia repeated its patently sub-commercial offer for the rights to the second test in spite of it having been made aware that its offer was not commercially viable."

"It appears to us that eMedia prefers to free-ride on the investments made by SuperSport and the SABC rather than to itself invest at the level which Springbok rugby deserves."

"Sports broadcasting requires a careful balancing act. While fans would understandably like to watch everything for free, the fact is our sports federations depend on the licensing of exclusive broadcasting rights to keep sport alive."

"SuperSport makes a substantial investment in South African rugby and as a country, we have witnessed the fruits of that investment with the World Cup-winning performances of the Springboks."

"SuperSport must protect its investment in exclusive broadcasting rights. But even so, SuperSport is mindful of the desire of audiences to also see the Springboks play on the channels of the public broadcaster."

"We have therefore endeavoured to reach appropriate sub-licensing arrangements with the SABC. It is eMedia alone who has disrupted those arrangements in pursuit of its own commercial interests."

The SABC in response to a media query told TVwithThinus "the SABC will not be pressurised to use public funds to finance private third parties for sports rights".

"The SABC remains committed to broadcasting sports of national interest."

The SABC said it had acquired the rights for the Olympics games directly from the rights holder, International Olympics Committee in 2017 and will show the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games on the SABC TV channels.

ALSO READ: SABC backtracks on promises to broadcast Springbok Test rugby, cites ongoing Competition Appeal Court case over SuperSport sublicensing rights.

SABC backtracks on promises to broadcast Springbok Test rugby, cites ongoing Competition Appeal Court case over SuperSport sublicensing rights.

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African public broadcaster has abruptly backtracked on public promises and a signed agreement from a week ago to broadcast the upcoming Springbok Tests today on 6 July and on 13 July between South Africa's national rugby team and Ireland.

On Friday night, the SABC suddenly cited an ongoing case before South Africa's Competition Appeal Court between MultiChoice on the one side, and the SABC and eMedia on the other side, over the contentious sublicensing of sports rights for breaking its promise and previously announced deal with MultiChoice and SuperSport.

The SABC in a statement on Friday night said that it is going back on its promises of showing these two rugby test matches due to the legal case over sublicensing rights that is ongoing. 

A week ago the SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli said that SuperSport and the SABC were pleased to announced that the public broadcaster will broadcast the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup final live, as well as two Springbok test matches on a delayed basis.

Nomsa Chabeli said that the "SABC has a pivotal role to inspire and build national pride and patriotism amongst citizens, and this agreement is one of the many initiatives that the organisation has been working hard on to ensure that citizens participate in major historic country moments".

According to Nomsa Chabeli the SABC was "excited that we have clinched a deal for two Springbok test matches to be broadcast on Saturday 6 July and Saturday 13 July  nd this is testament to our commitment to inclusivity and ensuring that our diverse audiences’ needs are catered for".

On Friday night Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC spokesperson, in a statement said the "SABC regrets that it will no longer be able to broadcast the Springbok Inbound test matches against Ireland on Saturday 6 July and Saturday 13 July as previously communicated".

"This decision follows the recent urgent litigation at the Competition Appeal Court over the broadcast rights to the  test matches which necessitated the SABC to review its decision to continue with the sublicense agreement concluded with MultiChoice."

According to the SABC, the broadcaster "will always strive to achieve its sports broadcast mandate without compromising its commercial objectives".

On Friday the SABC didn't say why it cancelled the deal with SuperSport and how this broken broadcast promise breaks its "testament to our commitment to inclusivity and ensuring that our diverse audiences' needs are catered for".

After the SABC's statement, MultiChoice and SuperSport then sent out a statement to the media late on Friday night.

"MultiChoice notes the decision by the SABC to terminate the sublicensing agreement signed with SuperSport, which would have allowed them to broadcast the Springbok test matches against Ireland, starting Saturday at Loftus Versfeld," MultiChoice said.

"Whilst the public broadcaster's decision is regrettable, MultiChoice fully respects and accepts the decision. MultiChoice will continue engaging with the SABC in seeking a working relationship that would benefit both viewers and sports bodies."

The sublicensing deal that the SABC signed with MultiChoice very likely violated the Competition Tribunal's ruling that states that for the time being, sports content acquired by the SABC from SuperSport can't be blocked out when shown on the SABC's TV channels on eMedia's Openview satellite service.

In its sublicensing agreements with MultiChoice and SuperSport, the SABC agreed that it would show old filler content on its SABC TV channels on Openview, while the version of the SABC's digital terrestrial TV channels, and the version of the SABC TV channels carried on MultiChoice's DStv, show the SuperSport-acquired content.

The SABC also agreed in the deals that it wouldn't show SuperSport sublicensed content on its own SABC+ video streaming service.

The Competition Tribunal in its ruling said that "MultiChoice, including its subsidiary SuperSport, and the SABC are interdicted from implementing and enforcing any restriction in sublicensing agreements entered into between them."

"MultiChoice, including its subsidiary SuperSport, and the SABC are further interdicted from including restrictions which prohibit the SABC from transmitting or making available sublicensed broadcasts on platforms owned or operated by eMedia, through Openview, in future sublicensing agreements concluded between them relating to the broadcasting of sporting events."

"The Tribunal has granted eMedia interim relief pending the final determination of its complaint to the Commission, or for a period of 6 months, whichever occurs first".

SABC won't broadcast Saturday's start of the rugby test series between Springboks and British & Irish Lions over ongoing tiff with SuperSport regarding carriage on new digital channels.

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African public broadcaster won't be broadcasting any of the matches of the rugby test series between South Africa and the British Lions on the SABC in an ongoing tiff behind the scenes with SuperSport regarding a deadlock in negotiations over carriage terms on the SABC's new digital channels.

The South African public broadcaster has remained silent without any press statement to its viewers about whether it would - or wouldn't - show the South African and England rugby test kicking off on Saturday evening at 18:00. The British Lions only visits South Africa every 12 years.

MultiChoice's SuperSport holds the pay-TV rights for South Africa for all Springbok matches but has been willing to sub-license the rights for free-to-air carriage to the SABC - but not for its new digital terrestrial SABC Sport channel that is available on eMedia Investments' Openview free-to-air satellite service.

SuperSport also demands blackout clauses in any sub-licensing contract for the "digital versions" of SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3, carried on video streaming services like TelkomONE, in cases where the South Africa's public broadcaster is to carry any sub-licensed SuperSport content on those channels.

The result is that those SABC viewers on services like TelkomONE and Openview get a black screen, similar to this past weekend for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League final between Kaizer Chiefs and Egypt's Al Ahly.

After intervention by South Africa's minister of communications and digital technologies, and the minister of sports, arts and culture, MultiChoice and SuperSport sub-licensed the CAF final match free-to-air rights to the SABC that showed it on SABC1.

However, SABC viewers could only see it on the analogue and digital terrestrial television (DTT) version of SABC1 - not the "digital satellite SABC1"-version on Openview or the "digital streaming SABC1"- version on TelkomONE, something that the SABC failed to warn or inform viewers about beforehand.

Earlier this week, Gary Rathbone, SABC Sport boss, told News24 that the SABC won't broadcast the Springbok Test series against the British and Irish Lions since SuperSport doesn't want it shown on SABC Sport or any of the SABC's digital channel versions.

In a second clause, SuperSport also want a delayed broadcast, meaning that the SABC would only be able to start showing a match from after the final whistle of a match was broadcast live on SuperSport. 

ALSO READ: After SABC throws hissy-fit over CAF final rights, ICASA slams the public broadcaster as MultiChoice and ministers on Friday work to have SuperSport sub-license match to SABC1 to boost national mood after week of unrest and looting.

MultiChoice: '8 out of 10 DStv subscribers who switch to Netflix keep us'; lack of rugby broadcasts the big reason customers are abandoning DStv Premium.

by Thinus Ferreira

When a premium DStv subscriber switches to video streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, 8 out of 10 subscribers decide to keep their DStv subscription as well although they might downgrade to a lower package MultiChoice's new market research has found, with the lack of live rugby broadcasts that is one of the biggest reasons why the DStv Premium subscriber base keeps shrinking.

On Thursday last week MultiChoice released the results for its financial year ending 31 March 2021, with the report that notes that another 100 000 premium DStv subscribers - DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus - have abandoned its top-end offering that they no longer see as offering enough value for money.

Although MultiChoice's overall pay-TV subscriber base grew thanks to an increase in its mass-market segment, its top-end customer segment in South Africa saw further erosion from 1.5 million to 1.4 million DStv subscribers - representing another 8% decrease in an ongoing decline in its most valuable subscribers.

The result is that MultiChoice's average revenue per user (ARPU) continues to decline for its customer base that brings in the most money, with the monthly ARPU of premium DStv customers that slid further from R588 to R580.

MultiChoice now has 20.9 million active subscribers of which 8.93 million (43%) are in South Africa - that remains the pay-TV operator's country with the largest subscriber base - and with 11.93 million (57%) combined in the rest of Africa (RoA).

"In terms of DStv Premium subscribers what we have seen is that we have customers who come down to the lower bouquets but at the same time we have customers who move on to the online platforms," Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO, said on Friday in the pay-TV operator's bi-annual investors' call.

"Those DStv subscribers who move on to the over-the-top (OTT) platforms - what our research has given us - is that 8 out of 10 of those that move on to the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video also remain on the DStv platform, which means that they stay in the lower bouquets."

Calvo Mawela noted that rugby broadcasts are one of the biggest drivers of DStv Premium uptake and that the loss of rugby because of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic is a very big reason behind the ongoing decline in its top-end subscribers.

"What we've seen is that as a result of the lack of rugby, you see people coming down, but as soon as rugby comes back, you see people going up."

"Because this past year has been a very difficult year for rugby - that's why we are seeing a significant number of DStv subscribers who have downgraded from DStv Premium as compared to the previous year."

ALSO READ: MultiChoice: We won't add on SABC TV Licence fees to DStv subscribers' bills and collect licensing fees on behalf of South Africa's public broadcaster.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice sheds another 100 000 premium DStv subscribers and with it comes further top-channels ratings share erosion - but that doesn't mean advertisers will pay less to reach these dwindling but sought-after viewers.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice coins it during Covid and grows to 20.9 million subscribers although it continues to shed top-end DStv customers jumping to video streaming.