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Canal+ has acquired exclusive broadcast rights to six major Senegalese wrestling events across more than 40 Sub-Saharan African territories for the 2026–2027 season, taking one of West Africa’s most popular domestic sports onto a continental pay-TV footprint. The agreement with BEUZ PRO, the audiovisual production company led by Ibrahima Faye, was announced on 23 October and covers French-, English- and Portuguese-speaking markets. Events will air live on CANAL+SPORT channels in French and Wolof, and on SuperSport in English.
The calendar opens on 29 November with The Verdict, headlined by Ada Fass against Balla Gaye 2. The Royal Clash (Sa Thiès vs Siteu) follows on 3 January 2027, then The Fight of the Millennium (Franc vs Reug Reug) on 7 February. The Independence Derby on 4 April is a double bill: Ama Baldé vs Lac de Guiers 2, and Eumeu Sène vs Jackson. Two further events are scheduled for June and July 2027, with fixtures still to be confirmed.
Event Production
The events are promoted by Al Bourakh Events and Jambaar Productions and produced by BEUZ PRO, whose chief executive Ibrahima Faye described the agreement as a turning point for the sport. “This partnership marks a historic milestone for Senegalese wrestling,” he said, crediting the promoters alongside the broadcaster: “Together with CANAL+ and our promoter partners, we are giving our sport the visibility it has long deserved across Sub-Saharan Africa.”
In March, Canal+ Senegal signed with Al Bourakh to show April’s Royal Clash between Modou Lô and Sa Thiès live on CANAL+SPORT 1. Local reports said the bout reached 48 countries, and Senegalese Wrestling Federation president Bira Sène said Canal+ had told him its audience was second only to the Africa Cup of Nations.
David Mignot, CEO of CANAL+ Africa, drew the line from that test to this agreement. “Following the broadcast of the Royal Clash on CANAL+SPORT 1 last April, and through this new partnership announced today, CANAL+ reaffirms its ambition to expand its portfolio of African content,” he said, along with “its commitment to giving Senegalese wrestling, one of Senegal’s most iconic sports, exceptional visibility across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
New in English Language
Canal+ has long carried francophone African content, but SuperSport only came fully inside the group in July, when Canal+ completed the compulsory acquisition of MultiChoice’s remaining shares. This is an early example of the combined group buying a property once and distributing it through both channel families, spreading a single rights fee across francophone, anglophone and lusophone subscriber bases. Few rival bidders for African sports rights can offer a rights holder that reach in one contract.
The appeal for Canal+ is a local property with a proven home audience and a built-in diaspora following. The April numbers gave it evidence before committing to a season. Moving from a single fight to a full calendar gives it a recurring fixture list to sell to subscribers and advertisers. This is also helpful for the promoters as one multi-territory buyer offers steadier income than negotiating fight by fight, and continental exposure strengthens their case with sponsors. Laamb’s commercial base has been uneven in recent years, with major sponsors pulling back and headline cards becoming less frequent. A season-long broadcast commitment gives Al Bourakh and Jambaar a firmer foundation to plan around.
The April bout aired free-to-air; the new release does not say whether domestic coverage will stay in the clear, which matters for a sport whose base is the Senegalese mass audience. And the English-language test is real, diaspora and West African viewers are a known quantity, while appetite in markets such as Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa is not yet established. SuperSport’s viewing figures over the season will show whether laamb can travel as a pay-TV product.
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