Siyaya gets pay TV license

Siyaya TV, a new entrant in South Africa’s pay TV space which made headlines after its R1-billion deal with Bafana Bafana, will be getting its pay TV license, BDlive reported on Sunday (16 November 2014).

A spokesperson for the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) confirmed the report, saying that Siyaya has provided them with the information they requested.

Siyaya TV was among the five broadcasters that received provisional pay-TV licenses from Icasa earlier this year.

The other broadcasters who received provisional licenses towards the end of April 2014 were Close-T Broadcast Network Holdings, Kagiso TV, Mindset Media Enterprises, and Mobile TV.

Following the news that Siyaya had secured the broadcast rights to Bafana Bafana’s live matches, the broadcaster promised that it would launch before the end of 2014, and would “change the face of broadcasting” in South Africa.

It explained that it would be able to start broadcasting Bafana’s matches from April 2015, when the national football team’s contract with the SABC ends.

The contract allows Siyaya TV to live broadcast the matches of the national men’s and women’s soccer teams. It will also have the rights to televise all junior national team games.

According to reports, the South African Football Association will be paid R175 million per year during the six-year contract with Siyaya TV.

More on Siyaya TV

We will change broadcasting in SA: Siyaya TV

Siyaya pay TV to launch before year end: report

Bafana Bafana in R1-billion pay-TV deal: reports

New Pay TV licences granted in SA