SuperSport (South African broadcaster)

SuperSport is a South African-based group of television channels carried on the DStv & CANAL+ satellite platforms and the GOtv terrestrial platform for live sports programming. It provides sports content in South Africa, Nigeria and all Sub-Saharan Africa countries.

SuperSport broadcasts a wide range of major sporting events and leagues, including association football, rugby, cricket, tennis, golf, motorsport, cycling, boxing, wrestling, field hockey, and athletics. At its peak, it was the world's largest broadcaster of live rugby and cricket, though it has since been overtaken by Sky Sports. It also held the position of the second-largest Premier League broadcaster globally, offering live matches and, when possible, high-definition broadcasts through the Premier League's Content Service.

In addition to its satellite channels, SuperSport provides content to M-Net, CSN, and occasionally M-Net HD. Following the model of Sky Sports, in September 2020, SuperSport began operating thematic channels, dedicating specific channels to major sports.

Currently, more than 3.5 million households across Africa access SuperSport via the DStv platform.

History

In 1986, M-Net was launched as South Africa's first pay-television channel and, along with Canal+, only the second outside of the United States. The channel immediately showed its intention to include sport in its programming line-up, by securing exclusive rights of an important Currie Cup match between Transvaal and Western Province for its first ever broadcast. From 1988, sports coverage on M-Net ran under the banner of M-Net SuperSport.

M-Net SuperSport expanded its range of coverage, including live overseas rugby, cricket, golf, boxing and cycling. Following South Africa's readmission into international cricket, SuperSport scored another marketing coup by securing exclusive rights to the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

When rugby turned professional in 1995, a deal was struck between the newly formed SANZAR and Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. In South Africa, SuperSport was awarded exclusive broadcasting rights of the Super 12 competition, as well as the Tri Nations. Following this deal, rugby gradually ceased broadcasting on the SABC, while SuperSport became a carrier of live rugby broadcasts.

At the same time, Naspers expanded its pay-television operations to a satellite carrier. With the launch of DStv in 1995, SuperSport became a multi-channel network and an independent brand, although it was still primarily associated with M-Net. The network made full use of the satellite platform to expand its sports offering: For the Olympic Games, six channels are generally used for live events.

On 4 September 2001, SuperSport moved its locations on the DStv platform. All of the SuperSport channels were now located in the 21-29 range while SuperSport Zone moved to channel 20. SuperSport International was renamed SuperSport 3, with an emphasis on the "big 3" sports (soccer, athletics, boxing) carried by the network. The interactive service, SuperSport Zone, started in May 2001.

In 2007, the SABC lost its exclusive rights to the local Premier Soccer League (PSL) to SuperSport, in a deal worth R1.6 billion. The deal stipulated that some matches had to be shared with the SABC. In August 2011, SuperSport renewed its contract with the PSL for another five years.

Since 2011, SuperSport's association with M-Net began to fade, when M-Net split its terrestrial feed from its DStv channel. DStv viewers can no longer watch sports events on M-Net, although terrestrial subscribers still get feeds on the main channel, as well as the Community Services Network (CSN).

A Premier Soccer League team bears the channel's name. SuperSport United F.C. was originally known as Pretoria City but bought by M-Net in 1995 after which it was renamed. In July 2025, it was announced that Siwelele F.C. would buy the club.

On August 8, 2020, SuperSport announced a gradual makeover/revamp of its channels, meaning the numbering of the channels since the channel's commencement of expansion in 2003 such as SuperSport 3 would be replaced with specific-sport TV channels which they "enhances the sports viewers' experience" and "makes it easier to find and watch a favourite league, competition or sport". The revamp would be operational from September 1, 2020, onwards.

On April 22, 2021, SuperSport got ownership of School Sport Live and rebranded it into SuperSport Schools. Under the new ownership, SuperSport Schools will continue to broadcast the best of School Sports online and also through SuperSport linear channels bringing it close to their other content. In this agreement, the brand is expected to get a mobile app later in the year.

Random Factoids About SuperSport

In 2009, SuperSport broadcast nearly 8,000 hours of live sports across its channels.
SuperSport’s total viewership across Africa exceeds ten million.
The network receives around 300 live broadcast feeds from across the world each weekend.
SuperSport hosts 420 outside broadcasts annually, excluding those in Africa.
In February 2009, SuperSport became the first African broadcaster to launch a 24-hour High Definition (HD) channel.
The 26-camera broadcast of the Kaizer Chiefs/Orlando Pirates derby in 2009 set a new standard for local football coverage.
The same year, SuperSport also became the first to broadcast a PSL derby in HD.

As the world's second largest broadcaster of live rugby, SuperSport's current lead commentators in English are Matthew Pearce, Hugh Bladen, Gavin Cowley, Owen Nkumane and Paul Stubbs, while their analyst pool includes Joel Stransky, Gcobani Bobo, Bobby Skinstad, Breyton Paulse, Nick Mallett, Ashwin Willemse, Kobus Wiese, Victor Matfield, Jean de Villiers and Naas Botha.

The channel is exclusively on DStv Premium.

SuperSport Cricket (212)

SuperSport Cricket primarily shows Cricket. All international cricket involving the South African national cricket team, as well as certain domestic cricket, is shown on this channel. The presentation and commentary team who cover South African home games include Mark Nicholas, Mike Haysman, Pommie Mbangwa, Michael Holding, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, JP Duminy and guest pundits from the opposition team.

The channel is also available only on DStv Premium

SuperSport Golf (213)

SuperSport Golf is the home of the majors with coverage of the PGA tour and other major golfing events including the Open, The Masters and many more.

This channel is available only on DStv Premium

SuperSport Tennis (214)

SuperSport Tennis is a 24-hour dedicated tennis channel showcasing live tennis from Grand Slams to the ATP Tour, WTA & other major tennis events.

Available to DStv Premium customers.

SuperSport Motorsport (215)

SuperSport Motorsport features live and archive content including Formula 1, DTM, MotoGP, Superbikes, Formula E, NASCAR and more.

Exclusive to DStv Premium

SuperSport WWE (128)

In addition to the WWE Network being made locally available, SuperSport's WWE channel features live broadcasts of WWE's flagship programming of WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown, along with additional WWE Network content including pay-per-view events, WWE NXT, WWE 24, WWE Ride Along and more.

SuperSport Máximo (241)

SuperSport Maximo is the Portuguese-language channel broadcasting the same events from the other SuperSport channels, mainly the UEFA Champions League, Formula 1 and Premier League in some instances. It is available mainly in the countries of Lusophone Africa, but also in other African countries including South Africa.