Football lovers in Kenya are set to enjoy access to top-flight European football after TV47 announced a simulcast partnership with SportyTV to broadcast major leagues on free-to-air television.

Business Today understands that the agreement, which covers the 2025/26 season, will see matches from the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Bundesliga available to millions of Kenyans who cannot afford pay-TV subscription fees.  SportyTV, owned by Dubai-based ACE Broadcasting, has been methodically expanding across Africa with similar partnerships in Nigeria and South Africa.

Sporty TV has rights  to broadcast the various league matches and TV 47 will be simulcasting with them. This development is particularly significant in Kenya’s media landscape, where premium sports content has traditionally been the preserve of pay-TV platforms. This will deal a major hit to Multichoice whose cable TV services DStv and GOtv have held nearly exclusive rights to top European leagues.

A 2023 report by the Communications Authority of Kenya showed that only about 15% of Kenyan households subscribe to pay-TV services, leaving the majority reliant on free-to-air stations for sports content. DStv and Gotv charge a premium – up to over Ksh12,000 monthly – to access sports channels on SuperSports.

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TV47 is part of the Cape Media stable that also includes Radio47. Owned by billionaire Simon Gicharu, TV47 has been strategically positioning itself as Kenya’s premier sports destination.  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.

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