The
Absa Premiership Soweto Derby, which features two of the country’s most
celebrated teams Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, is going to the global
audience.
This
was confirmed by the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and Broadcast Rights Holders,
SuperSport today.
ESPN
Star Sports will broadcast the match in various countries in Asia, while the
feed will also be supplied to four ESPN broadband platforms, representing 19
countries.
The
match will be shown by ESPN in Latin America, the Caribbean, Australia, New
Zealand and the US. In the US alone, the ESPN platform represents 79 million
homes.
The
match will also be broadcast on Sports Tonight Live in the United Kingdom (UK)
on Sky and Freeview. The Sky feed reaches over 12 million homes, while Freeview
boasts five million connected televisions in the UK. Sky Sports News will also
be covering the fixture in its bulletins in both the UK and throughout the
world.
The
match will also be shown on SuperSport’s Africa platform, which reaches 50
countries in sub-Sahara Africa.
The
two Soweto giants – whose rivalry can be traced back to the break-away of
Kaizer Chiefs from Orlando Pirates in the early 1970s, will clash at the FNB
Stadium. So eagerly-anticipated is this derby that it was sold out more than 14
days ago.
PSL
Acting CEO, Cambridge Mokanyane said: “Few months ago, the PSL chairman, Dr
Irvin Khoza spoke of a vision to take the PSL to world stage; this is part of
that goal. The PSL as a brand is growing and we are excited about this
initiative that will see the Absa Premiership Soweto derby watched by millions
across the globe. There can be no better advertising of our professional
football.”
Happy
Ntshingila, CEO of SuperSport said: “We are delighted to make this broadcast
available worldwide. It is an endorsement of the PSL’s growth and recognition
of the world class broadcast standard produced by SuperSport. The stage is set
for a magnificent match and we are thrilled to be a part of it.”
Ntshingila
confirmed that Saturday’s global feed would be the biggest for a domestic event
– World Cups excluded – in SuperSport’s 25-year history.
