Econet to broadcast Formula 1 races to sub-Saharan Africa

30 Aug 2016

Econet Media has added Formula 1 racing to its portfolio. The African broadcaster has successfully concluded a three-and-a-half-year deal with Formula One World Championship Limited which gives its free-to-air (FTA) platform, Kwesé Free Sports, exclusive free-to-air English language rights across sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa.

Econet to broadcast Formula 1 races to sub-Saharan Africa

The deal means that Kwesé Free Sports will now broadcast same-day delayed coverage of Formula 1 racing to African viewers in a number of countries.

Coverage starts with the broadcast of the 2016 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix from the world famous Spa-Francorchamps on 28 August. This will include all the race action from practice and qualifying rounds on 26-27 August, as well as the race itself on 28 August 2016.

This is the latest in a series of announcements from Econet Media, which through Kwesé Free Sports and its live-streaming platform Kwesesports.com, is already bringing premium sporting content to viewers across Africa.

Leveraging the exclusive multi-platform rights already held by Econet Media across a number of premium sporting codes including the Premier League, the National Basketball Association (NBA), Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC), the National Football League (NFL) and Brazil Football among others, the company will now be bringing Formula 1 racing to viewers across the continent who would not otherwise have access to this exciting sporting code.

Econet Media CEO Joseph Hundah said: “Econet Media, through our Kwesé portfolio, remains committed to bringing premium sporting content to viewers by becoming a hub for the very best in global and local sports content. We are thrilled to bring African FTA viewers the latest from the Formula One circuits.”