Sports fans across Africa will be able to watch two 24-hour ESPN channels on DStv from July 29, after their parent companies, The Walt Disney Company Africa and The MultiChoice Group respectively, announced the broadcast deal on Monday.
Featuring every major US sport as well as European football, fans across the continent can now look forward to popular premier American leagues, including the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Baseball (MLB), via ESPN and ESPN2.
The channels will also feature live football from the English Football League (EFL), Scottish Premier Football League (SPFL), Dutch Eredivisie and Major League Soccer (MLS), as well as local sports including the West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup of Nations and featured boxing tournaments and events.
Viewers can look forward to the much anticipated return of the NBA from the bio-bubble from July 31, where LeBron James and the LA Lakers renew their city rivalry with the LA Clippers and Orlando Magic take on the Brooklyn Nets.
The Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season will also take prominence on ESPN, with fixtures between the Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies (July 29), and a triple header for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees from August 1-3.
"From reliving the greatest moments in sports history to seeing those moments being made, ESPN's compelling content and unique personality will be a complementary addition to MultiChoice Group's sports offering," says Christine Service, Senior Vice President and Country Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa.
"We are thrilled to be bringing the achievements and triumphs of both international and local athletes, our quality storytelling and innovative programming to a whole new audience of sports fans in Africa."
Together with the live sports programming, viewers will also be able to catch up on the very latest films, series, news, talk shows and highlights from ESPN's iconic sports documentary and studio programming.
MultiChoice Group CEO, Calvo Mawela added: "As Africa's leading video entertainment platform, we are unwavering in our commitment to ensure that we continue to find the best available content to delight our customers, both now and into the future.
"We endeavour to deliver both world-class international content as well as the very best in local content, giving our loyal customers a never-ending selection of outstanding entertainment.
"In addition to being the home of American sports, ESPN is equally well-known for its dedication to great storytelling, something we as Africa's most-loved storyteller can identify with."
For broadcast details go to africa.espn.com, follow @ESPNAfrica or local listings. The channels will be numbers 218 and 219 on DStv.