ESPN Africa Secures France's TOP 14, Adding to Growing Rugby Broadcast Portfolio
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ESPN Africa is strengthening its rugby offering after securing broadcast rights to France's TOP 14, extending access to one of the world's premier domestic competitions across the sub-Saharan Africa region, including South Africa.
The agreement will see matches aired on ESPN channels (DStv 218 and 219, StarSat 248), with additional distribution via Disney+ in South Africa, broadening reach across both traditional broadcast and streaming platforms.
Coverage begins mid-April, with a full slate of fixtures marking the league's entry into the African market. ESPN Africa will air four live matches per week, alongside six playoff games each season, providing consistent exposure to the competition across the calendar.
The structure of the rights package reflects a phased expansion. The current 2025 to 2026 season includes 36 regular season matches and six playoff fixtures, before scaling significantly in subsequent cycles. Both the 2026 to 2027 and 2027 to 2028 seasons are set to feature 104 regular season matches, in addition to playoff coverage, indicating a deeper long-term content commitment.
From a market perspective, the partnership is underpinned by strong regional relevance. The TOP 14 features a number of South African players, including Jean-Luc du Preez, Arno Botha, and Nico Janse van Rensburg, creating a natural bridge between European competition and African audiences.
The acquisition also reinforces ESPN Africa's broader multi-sport strategy, where rugby sits alongside an expanding portfolio that includes basketball, baseball, football, hockey, and American football. The addition of the TOP 14 complements existing rugby properties such as Japan Rugby League One, further positioning the network as a key destination for global rugby content across the continent.
Kyle De Klerk, Director of Sports at The Walt Disney Company Africa, said:
"We are delighted to welcome the TOP 14 French Rugby League to the ESPN Africa offering. The TOP 14 is considered the leading domestic rugby competition globally and we are excited to offer our audiences the very best in European rugby competition alongside our wide breadth of premier sports programming."
For the league, the agreement represents a strategic push into new international markets, particularly in regions with established rugby audiences.
Yann Roubert, President of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, added:
"This agreement with ESPN Africa marks an important step in the international growth of the TOP 14. It will give more fans across a major rugby region the opportunity to experience the intensity, passion and unique identity of French professional rugby."
As global leagues continue to pursue international media rights growth, the TOP 14's expansion into Africa pushes diversified distribution and audience development, particularly in markets where rugby already has a strong cultural and commercial foothold.
Source: ESPN
