Kenyan football enthusiasts to enjoy top-tier European football for free after TV47-SportyTV partnership pact
The deal will now ensure Kenyan football enthusiasts enjoy unprecedented access to top-tier European football major leagues on free-to-air television
International sports broadcaster SportyTV has made its Kenyan debut through a groundbreaking simulcast partnership with free-to-air station TV47 bringing European football to millions of households that previously couldn’t access premium sports content.
The deal, announced this week, will see matches from Europe’s top leagues air on TV47 starting this month, July 2024.
The deal will now ensure Kenyan football enthusiasts enjoy unprecedented access to top-tier European football major leagues on free-to-air television.
The partnership which covers the 2024/25 season, will see matches from the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Bundesliga available to millions of Kenyan households who cannot afford pay-tv subscription fees.
This development is particularly significant in Kenya’s media landscape, where premium sports content has traditionally been the preserve of pay-TV platforms.
A 2023 report by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) showed that only about 15 per cent of Kenyan households subscribe to pay-TV services, leaving the majority reliant on free-to-air stations for sports content.
TV47, part of the Cape Media stable that also includes Radio47, has been strategically positioning itself as Kenya’s premier sports destination.
SportyTV, owned by Dubai-based ACE Broadcasting, has been methodically expanding across Africa with similar partnerships in Nigeria and South Africa.
The station’s recent acquisition of Kenyan Premier League rights and successful coverage of the FIFA Club World Cup demonstrated its sports broadcasting capabilities.
Now available on multiple platforms including SIGNET, PANG, ZUKU, GoTV, DSTV, and StarTimes, TV47 reaches an estimated 8 million viewers weekly according to industry estimates.
SportyTV’s entry into the Kenyan market follows its successful launches in other African countries. The broadcaster has developed a reputation for making premium sports content more accessible through innovative partnerships with local free-to-air stations.
In Kenya, they’ve chosen to work with the relatively young but ambitious TV47 rather than established players, signaling confidence in the station’s growth potential.
Radio47 will complement the television coverage with live commentary and analysis, particularly valuable for fans who are mobile or in areas with limited television access.
The station’s nationwide FM network reaches even remote parts of the country that digital television signals sometimes struggle to penetrate.
