Cricket South Africa (CSA) faces a significant challenge as it has been unable to secure a broadcasting deal with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) for India’s tour of South Africa, starting on December 10th. This situation is not new, as CSA experienced similar issues broadcasting South Africa’s matches in the Cricket World Cup and parallels the South African Rugby Union’s (SARU) struggle with broadcasting the Rugby World Cup.
Cricket’s absence from South Africa’s free-to-air channels in recent domestic seasons is concerning. This lack of access may impact the sport’s reach to the next generation, potentially affecting its growth and popularity.
In a statement, CSA revealed that it had been negotiating with the SABC for months over the free-to-air broadcast rights for the India tour. On November 29th, the SABC offered a massively discounted rate, which CSA accepted on December 7th. However, the SABC then informed CSA of their inability to broadcast the tour due to a withdrawal of potential sponsors.
This issue highlights the challenges in making cricket accessible to all South Africans and the need for a sustainable solution. The importance of cricket being available to the entire nation cannot be overstated, especially to foster the next generation’s interest in the sport. The repeated pattern of last-minute deals and failed negotiations needs to be addressed to ensure the future of cricket in South Africa.
Full CSA statement here:
“On 29 November, CSA finally received an offer from the SABC for the broadcast rights at a massively discounted rate.
“In view of the significant audience the SABC enjoys, which meets CSA’s aim of growing cricket across all sectors of South African society, CSA was eager to ensure that the India tour was available on free- to-air TV.
“CSA responded to the SABC six working days later on 7 December, accepting their offer in totality.
“Regrettably, hours after CSA’s full acceptance of their offer, the SABC informed CSA that they are unable to broadcast the India tour due to a withdrawal of potential sponsors.
“The free-to-air rights remain available and should the SABC be able to attract sponsorship, CSA is willing to conclude an agreement which will ensure the India tour is enjoyed by millions of South Africans.”
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