BBC secures free-to-air rights to AFCON games

BBC has acquired the free-to-air rights to Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast which is currently underway.

Under the deal, the UK public service broadcaster will air 10 matches alongside highlights from other games which will be available across BBC Sport online and social media channels.

The African football tournament which kicked off on Saturday 13 January with the opening match between Ivory Coast and Guinea-Bissau was broadcast live on the BBC Three channel and streaming platform BBC iPlayer.

Group stage games, Ghana v Egypt, will be shown on January 18 and Zambia v Morocco on January 24. Another two matches from the round of 16, two from the quarterfinals, both semi-finals and the final will also air on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer.

BBC previously broadcast 10 matches from the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations games in 2022. This year the UK pay TV operator Sky Sports secured the exclusive broadcasting rights to every game of the 34th edition of the tournament.

Digital highlights, live scores, and major news stories from the competition will also feature on the BBC Sport website and app, as well as across social media platforms.

Stephen Lyle, head of football BBC Sport, said: “We are thrilled to bring audiences live, free to air coverage of the Africa Cup of Nations once again. In 2021, AFCON delivered the highest audience for BBC Three since it returned as a linear channel at 1.3m, demonstrating the strong demand from audiences. Our TV rights package includes 10 matches from across every stage of the competition, meaning fans can follow the excitement and drama of this huge international competition from beginning to end”.