SABC Makes Disappointing Betway Premiership Announcement Before Opening Weekend

• Millions of football supporters will miss the opening Betway Premiership fixtures after SABC confirmed a last-minute broadcasting setback
• The public broadcaster says negotiations are continuing and remains hopeful of bringing league matches back later in August
• While league coverage has been delayed, there is better news for fans looking forward to the MTN8 tournament

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has confirmed that it will not broadcast the opening fixtures of the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season on Saturday, 1 August.

The announcement, made on Friday, 31 July, comes just a day before the new campaign begins and is expected to disappoint millions of football supporters who rely on free-to-air television to watch domestic football.

SABC explains Betway Premiership broadcast delay

According to SABC Sport, negotiations over the Premier Soccer League (PSL) sub-licensing agreement with CANAL+ are still under way and have not yet been finalised.

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SABC said it remains committed to concluding the agreement as soon as possible and anticipates beginning Betway Premiership broadcasts from 15 August 2026, subject to the talks being successfully completed.

SABC confirms MTN8 agreement

SABC Group CEO Nomsa Chabeli said the broadcaster had secured the rights to air the 2026 MTN8 tournament.

"We thank CANAL+ for their continued collaboration in making this possible and appreciate the positive engagement that continues on the Betway Premiership discussions.

"We remain optimistic that these will be concluded soon, allowing us to bring even more South African football to audiences across the country," Chabeli said.

CANAL+ Africa and MultiChoice Group CEO David Mignot added:

"We continue to have engaging discussions about the rest of the 2026/27 free-to-air sub-licensing agreement, which we hope to conclude soon."

Football fans await further update

The SABC thanked supporters for their patience and apologised for the delay, while expressing confidence that an agreement can still be reached. The broadcaster said it looks forward to bringing both the MTN8 and, potentially, Betway Premiership matches to viewers in the coming weeks.

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Former PSL striker Devon Saal appeals for another chance

Briefly News also reported that former PSL striker Devon Saal made an emotional appeal to clubs after revealing he has struggled to secure even a trial ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The experienced forward claimed many conversations with coaches end as soon as they hear his name, prompting him to question whether he has been unfairly overlooked.

Source: Briefly News