It was only in conversation not too long ago that we mentioned the impact, power and aggressiveness Walt Disney is seemingly attacking the traditional broadcasting and streaming service markets with. When you consider the assets and content they have, you can’t argue that it’s only a matter of time until the company completely dominates the market, and that is a spoiler alert from us.
Taking that a step further, the company has confirmed that it has acquired the multiyear rights to broadcast the National Basketball League (NBA) across the African continent, which started effectively on 14 February 2020, exclusively on paid TV in English on ESPN and ESPN 2.
Considered the top basketball league in the world and featuring the world’s most talented players, the NBA is the latest to be added to ESPN’s already iconic and popular league and sporting event lineup from the United States and across the globe.

Sports fanatics and just pure fans of the sport alike can look forward to regular-season games, the NBA Playoffs and the Conference Finals, as well as the peak of the basketball calendar, The Finals, the NBA’s annual championship series. For the remainder of the season, fans will be able to watch live games per week on Fridays and Sundays, including Friday ESPN double-headers and the NBA Sunday games.
Additional programing will include the broadcast of the NBA Draft in June, where each NBA team can select eligible players from across the U.S. and the globe to play in the league. With more games, specials and events being lined up – including exciting programming created especially for fans in Africa – viewers have one destination to watch all the NBA action.
“By securing these rights for Africa, ESPN is able to further its commitment to bringing premier content to audiences and growing the diversity of programming on the channels,” says Evert van der Veer, Vice President of Media Networks for The Walt Disney Company Africa. “We are thrilled to share in the passion and excitement of this league with fans across the continent.”
The action on ESPN and ESPN 2 is now freely available to follow. You can also add to that by following further action on http://africa.espn.com, and @espnafrica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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