StarTimes Sports

StarTimes Sports
CountryChina
Broadcast areaSub-Saharan Africa
AffiliatesESPN
beIN Sports
HeadquartersBeijing
Programming
Language(s)
Picture format576i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
History
Launched19 July 2014
Links
Websitestartimestv.com
Availability
Terrestrial
StarTimesVaries from country to country
Streaming media
StarTimes ON

StarTimes Sports is a chain of pay-television sports broadcasting channels operated by StarTimes in sub-Saharan Africa.

History

StarTimes first foray into sports broadcasting was in 2012, when it purchased a package of Italian Serie A games to air one a week on its StarTimes KungFu channel. In 2013 StarTimes purchased a package to air one French Ligue 1 game everyweek also on its StarTimes KungFu channel.

On 19 July 2014, StarTimes Sports 2 was launched as the first channel in the StarTimes Sports channel chain.[1] This was informed due to StarTimes taking in more sporting content as its satellite TV service expanded. The new channel was to air football games from the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying tournament, the French Ligue 1 and 2014 International Champions Cup.[2]

On 1 June 2015, StarTimes added a third sports channel to the chain, StarTimes Sports Premium, this was after StarTimes Sports Focus was added earlier in the year.[3]

Later on, in August 2015, StarTimes Sports Life and World Football were added to the StarTimes EPG bringing the total number of StarTimes Sports channels to five. StarTimes Sports 2 has since been rebranded to StarTimes Sports Arena.[4]

StarTimes Sports channels also serve as a home for some football club tv channels in sub-Saharan africa, some of which include Barca TV, Roma TV, Chelsea TV, Arsenal TV, MUTV, Dortmund TV and Juventus TV. StarTimes Sports broadcasts a variety of other sporting events apart from association football, ranging from tennis, cricket, rugby, badminton, table tennis, motorsport, boxing and volleyball.

List of channels

  • StarTimes Sports Focus (Sub Saharan Africa and South Africa) HD simulcast
  • StarTimes Sports Arena (Sub Saharan Africa and South Africa) HD simulcast
  • StarTimes Sports Life (Sub Saharan Africa and South Africa) HD simulcast
  • StarTimes Sports Premium (Sub Saharan Africa and South Africa) HD simulcast
  • StarTimes World Football (Sub Saharan Africa and South Africa) HD simulcast
  • StarTimes Beta Sports (Nigeria Only) HD simulcast
  • StarTimes Sports Mania (Mozambique Only) HD simulcast
  • StarTimes Adepa (Ghana Only) HD simulcast

(Previous Sports Discontinued)

  • Sports 1 (South Africa only) HD simulcast
  • Sports 2 (South Africa only) HD simulcast
  • Sports 3 (South Africa only) HD simulcast
  • Sports 4 (South Africa only) HD simulcast

StarTimes Sports Focus

StarTimes Sports Focus is a channel which broadcasts sports news, highlights and interviews. Its programming also includes, rugby and table tennis. It also acts as a spill over channel for association football when necessary.

StarTimes Sports Arena

StarTimes Sports Arena is the chain's home for fight events, airing events from promotions like ONE Championship, Bellator MMA, Cage Warriors, Glory (kickboxing) and World Boxing Council. It is also used as a spill over channel for German Bundesliga and French Ligue 1.

StarTimes Sports Life

StarTimes Sports Life airs the Chinese Super League and Liga MX. It also airs golf, volleyball and X Games. It has aired tennis and cricket in the past and also French Ligue 1.

StarTimes Sports Premium

StarTimes Sports Premium airs a variety of sports, mainly from association football which include Bundesliga, Ligue 1, La Liga, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Euro Qualifying tournaments and FIFA World Cup and its qualifiers. It has aired Italian Serie A in the past. The channel also airs Basketball events like FIBA World Cup and its qualifiers and the AfroBasket tournament. Motorsport also airs on the channel, from events like Formula E and World Rally Championship.

Since 1 September 2020, it has broadcast programmes exclusively in French. It acts as a French Language simulcast for most football events broadcast on World Football channel and it also serves as the home for the Spanish Laliga on Startimes

StarTimes World Football

StarTimes World Football is a football only channel. It is the home of the Bundesliga on StarTimes, but also airs Ligue 1, Serie A, FIFA World Cup, UEFA Nations League, FIFA World Cup qualifiers, International Champions Cup, FIFA World Club Cup, UEFA Europa League, FA Cup, Copa del Rey, Coppa Italia, Taça da Liga, Taça de Portugal, and J1 League (only on StarTimes presents J1 League).

StarTimes Beta Sports

Catch up with Nigeria Premier Football League other sport and NBA Basketball and Extreme Sports.

StarTimes Sports Mania

The Sports channel has Portuguese contents with all mix Sports and local Football Moçambola League of Mozambique.

StarTimes Adepa

The Sports channel has Ghanian local sports content. It mainly serves as the primary channel for the Ghana Premier League.


(Previous Sports Discontinued)

Sports 1, 2, 3, & 4

Sports 1, Sports 2 and Sports 3 are StarTimes Sports channels carried on StarTimes' South African subsidiary, StarSat. They basically carry the same programming with the channels in the rest of Sub Saharan Africa, except for the UEFA Europa League and FIFA events which are held by rivals SuperSport in South Africa.[5] [6]

Sports coverage

Football (soccer)

Basketball

Motorsport

Rugby

Athletics

Aquatics

Tennis

Cricket

Boxing

Volleyball

  • FIVB Men's and Women's Nations Leagues

Table tennis

Badminton

Golf

Kickboxing

Mixed Martial Arts

Wrestling

Studio broadcasters/Presensters

Name Role Note
Lloyd Randall Anchor Presenter of Bundesliga Football, UEFA Europa League & Big Rumble
McSwain Betrand Anchor Presenter of Bundesliga Football & UEFA Europa League
Micheal Butterworth Anchor Presenter of Bundesliga Football & African Cup of Nations
David Ramirez Analyst Analyst of Bundesliga Football & Football Moments
Mike Fox Analyst Analyst on Bundesliga Football & Football Moments
Josh McNally Analyst Analyst on Sports Clash & Big Rumble

See also

References

  1. ^ "Startimes Welcomes Sport 2 Channel". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  2. ^ "StarTimes Has Something New,Exciting For Customers". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Bundesliga games set for new StarTimes channel". Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  4. ^ "What to watch out for in StarTimes Sportschannels". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  5. ^ "FIFA grants 2018 World Cup broadcasting rights in Sub-Saharan Africa". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  6. ^ "STARTIMES SECURES EXCLUSIVE BROADCASTING RIGHTS FOR UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE GAMES". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  7. ^ "FIFA awards 2017-2018 media rights for sub-Saharan Africa". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  8. ^ "StarTimes plans exciting FIFA U-20 W/Cup coverage". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  9. ^ "StarTimes acquires exclusive media rights for FIFA Club World Cup". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  10. ^ "STARTIMES ACQUIRES EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FOR COPA AMÉRICA IN AFRICA". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  11. ^ a b "StarTimes secure premier league broadcast rights for $7m". Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  12. ^ "UEFA Nations League take centre stage onStartimes". Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Pay TV provider StarTimes acquires broadcasting rights for Uefa Europa League". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  14. ^ "StarTimes Secures AFCON 2021 Broadcast Rights". Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  15. ^ "StarTimes acquires broadcast rights of CAF Inter-Club competitions". Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  16. ^ "StarTimes acquires broadcast rights of CAF Inter-Club competitions". Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  17. ^ "AFC confirms media rights deal with StarTimes in Africa". Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  18. ^ "AFC confirms media rights deal with StarTimes in Africa". Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  19. ^ "AFC confirms media rights deal with StarTimes in Africa". Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  20. ^ "StarTimes Seals Broadcast Rights For Bundesliga". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  21. ^ "Ligue 1 on StarTimes: all weekend fixtures and table". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  22. ^ "StarTimes secures FA Cup rights in sub-Saharan Africa". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  23. ^ "StarTimes acquires Serie A broadcast rights". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  24. ^ "LaLiga closes sub- Saharan African rights deal with StarTimes". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  25. ^ "StarTimes to broadcast International Champions Cup LIVE and Exclusively". Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  26. ^ "StarTimes agrees cut-price Ghana Premier League rights deal". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  27. ^ "StarTimes to bring Canadian Premier League's Island Games tournament to audiences across Africa". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  28. ^ "STARTIMES ACQUIREEXCLUSIVE MEDIA RIGHTS FOR FIBA'S NATIONAL TEAM COMPETITIONS". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  29. ^ "STARTIMES SECURE FORMULA E RIGHTS FOR SUB SAHARAN AFRICA". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  30. ^ "Star Times secures exclusive World Rally Championship broadcasting rights". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  31. ^ "Extreme E for Africa with StarTimes partnership". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  32. ^ "StarTimes acquires Rights to Broadcast Popular TennisTournaments". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  33. ^ "StarTimes Brings Best of WBSS to African Audience". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  34. ^ "Glory strikes new rights deals". Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  35. ^ "ONE Championship And Startimes To Bring World-class Martial Arts Content To Africa". Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  36. ^ "Cage Warriors 111 full fight card and broadcast details". Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  37. ^ "StarTimes Brings Best of World Combat Sports to Africa Audience". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  38. ^ "STARTIMES PARTNERS WITH MLW TO AIR 'FUSION' IN AFRICA". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  39. ^ "WOS Wrestling Confirms Multiple International TV Deals". Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.