SABC Acquires Glasgow 2014 Rights in South Africa

May 6, 2014

South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has secured free-to-air broadcasting rights to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, decease it has been revealed.

The SABC will broadcast at least 100 hours of conventional coverage with extensive news and highlight coverage on SABC 2 and Radio 2000. 

SABC’s coverage will ensure that South Africans across the breadth of the republic have the opportunity to follow their heroes and see if their athletes can better the 12 Gold medals their team won in each of the two previous Commonwealth Games. 

Glasgow 2014 will be the biggest multi-sport event Scotland has ever hosted and around 4, remedy 500 athletes from 71 nations and territories will take part in the Games with 17 sports on show across the 11 days of competition. 

It is anticipated that a total audience of 1.5 billion worldwide will experience Glasgow 2014’s sports action and Opening and Closing Ceremonies through a range of international television and radio channels – creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Glasgow and Scotland to engage and inspire young people across the globe. 

The sale of broadcast right packages worldwide is a part of Glasgow 2014’s commercial programme which aims to raise around £100million in revenue through licensing, merchandise, sponsorship and ticketing. 

Announcing the agreement with SABC, Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, David Grevemberg, said: “We are thrilled that through the SABC, viewers in South Africa will have the opportunity to enjoy the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games – the biggest sporting event ever to be held in Scotland – and be absorbed by the world-class competition that will be on offer across our 17 sports.”

Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the SABC’s Acting Chief Operations Officer, said: “The SABC has gained immense experience in covering sporting events of this magnitude, including the successful coverage of the previous Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010, wherein South Africa was 5th with 12 Gold Medals on the table.

“As a public service broadcaster we are pleased that we have managed to secure the broadcast rights for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as we serve the needs of sport-loving fans in our country. We will utilise our 18 radio stations, broadcasting in 11 official languages and we have also dedicated one of our television channels SABC 2, to be the home of the Commonwealth Games.”