SA Rugby and Canal+ renewed deal secures coverage for coming seasons
SA Rugby and Canal+ Group have concluded a new multi-year domestic broadcast rights agreement that will see SuperSport continue as the exclusive broadcaster of South African rugby competitions across sub-Saharan Africa.
Source: springboks.rugby
The renewed agreement covers all the South African Rugby Union's (Saru) domestic competitions, as well as Springbok women’s and junior age-group matches, reinforcing one of the longest-standing partnerships in South African sport.
The announcement marks the first major local sports rights renewal since Canal+ formally joined forces with the MultiChoice Group in September last year, signalling the broadcaster’s long-term commitment to investing in African sports content.
Rugby remains central to South African sports broadcasting
For Canal+, the renewal strengthens its foothold within one of South Africa’s most commercially valuable sporting categories.
David Mignot, CEO of Canal+ Group Africa, said the broadcaster remained committed to investing in locally relevant content across the continent.
“As promised, we are doubling down on our investment in local content, including the sports content that matters the most to people on the continent,” said Mignot.
“In the South African market, rugby has grown into becoming a part of the national psyche — as evidenced by the national euphoria that erupted each time the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup.”
The agreement ensures all domestic rugby fixtures will remain exclusively available through SuperSport, which continues to serve as a major driver of subscription value within the DStv ecosystem.
A strategic moment for African sports media
The agreement comes at a pivotal time for African sports broadcasting as global media groups increasingly compete for premium local sports rights across the continent.
For Canal+ and MultiChoice, retaining South African rugby strengthens both subscriber retention and long-term local relevance within a rapidly evolving entertainment market.
For SA Rugby, the partnership provides continued broadcast stability and commercial support at a time when sports federations globally are under increasing financial and operational pressure.
The renewal ultimately reinforces rugby’s enduring role not only as a national sport, but also as a major media and commercial asset within South Africa’s broader entertainment economy.
A partnership spanning more than three decades
SuperSport has been a broadcast partner to South African rugby for more than 30 years, with the relationship evolving alongside the professionalisation and global commercial growth of the sport.
Mark Alexander, president of SA Rugby, said the new agreement followed extensive negotiations and reflected a shared understanding of rugby’s importance within South African society.
“We are very happy to have concluded our first agreement with the MultiChoice Group and Canal+ Group after a thorough and extensive series of engagements,” said Alexander.
“They have demonstrated a shared understanding of the importance of rugby to the South African public and we trust this is the first of many such agreements.”
Broadcasting rights remain critical to sporting sustainability
Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, emphasised the financial importance of broadcasting partnerships for the long-term sustainability of South African sport.
“Broadcasting rights are fundamental to the health and sustainability of sport in South Africa and rugby is no different,” said Oberholzer.
“SuperSport has been a long-standing and trusted partner to South African rugby, and we are delighted to continue our partnership.”
He added that although both rugby and the broadcasting industry had transformed significantly since the original agreement in the 1990s, the continued partnership reflected strong alignment between the organisations.
Sports content remains key to subscriber retention
The renewal also highlights the growing strategic importance of premium live sport within Africa’s increasingly competitive streaming and pay-TV landscape.
As global media consumption habits shift toward digital and on-demand viewing, live sports rights remain one of the few categories capable of consistently driving real-time audience engagement and subscriber loyalty.
Rendani Ramovha, Canal+ Director for Sports Content in English and Portuguese-speaking Africa, said the agreement reinforced the broadcaster’s commitment to delivering premium sports experiences to African audiences.
“The renewal of the domestic broadcast agreement is not just the strengthening of our long-standing partnership with SA Rugby but a victory for DStv viewers and subscribers, who have come to trust us to bring the best sports content to them in our world-class broadcast quality,” said Ramovha.