StarTimes Offers Exclusive Chinese Super League

Emma Okonji

Digital TV entertaining company, StarTimes has announced its media rights to cover exclusive matches of the Chinese Football Association Super League, popularly known as Chinese Super League, in Sub-Saharan Africa region.

The two-year media rights, which was signed during the CSL media rights press conference in China, gives the African audiences, especially Nigerians, the opportunity to watch native football stars like Nigerian and Shanghai Greeanland Shenhua forward, Obafemi Martins, Senegalese’s Demba Ba and Zambia’s Jacob Mulenga among others on their StarTimes channels.

The General Manager, Media Divisions, StarTimes Group, Mr. Michael Dearham, said: “We understand that football is like a religion in Africa and that is why we are bringing exclusive matches to the living room or offices of our teeming subscribers in Africa and Nigeria. Chinese Super League has excellent and amazing football players with strong presence of African stars.”

Dearham assured Nigerians that the company would help to popularize CSL in English, French, Portuguese and African native languages in next three years. “Our vision is equal access to every one at a very affordable price. StarTimes is set to provide “free to air” signals, delivering CSL to all people,” he said.

“I know CSL now has a new road in the future,” President of China Sports Media, Zhao Jun, who manages broadcast rights of CSL, said. She said that CSL would take more African football stars to China in the future, which would help spread of CSL in Africa.

StarTimes is the leading digital-TV operator in Africa, covering 90 per cent of the continent’s population with a massive distribution network of 200 brand halls, 3,000 convenience stores and 5,000 distributors. StarTimes currently has seven million subscribers in Africa.

Aside from the CSL, the Pay TV Company is playing more important role in StarTimes’ strategy. In 2015, StarTimes signed an exclusive broadcasting contract with Bundesliga and the International Club Championship for successive five years in Sub-Saharan Africa region, and got the Africa wide rights to televise the French Ligue 1, the Italian Serie A for three consecutive years. Other exciting sports content includes 2015 exclusive broadcast rights to FIFA under 20 World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup and the FIFA under 17 World Cup Event, and the Copa America 2016.

In February 2015, StarTimes signed world football icon and Nigeria football legend, Kanu Nwankwo as Continental Brand Ambassador.

The company’s vision is to enable every African family to afford and enjoy digital TV.
StarTimes achieves this by combining satellite and terrestrial DTV systems to provide an open and secure digital wireless platform. The company provides a robust signal transmission service for public and private broadcasters that offers consumers outstanding pay-TV programs, mobile multimedia and wireless Internet connectivity.