By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) will not be screened on South African television after SuperSport could not secure broadcast rights for this year’s tournament.
In a statement on Thursday, the broadcaster said discussions with the IPL broadcasting rights holder had been unsuccessful, and SuperSport would, therefore, not broadcast the tournament from 2023.
The announcement comes just two days before the 2023 IPL season begins.
The tournament is very popular in South Africa, partly due to the many sought-after South African cricket players playing for IPL teams.
For the 2023 season, 33 South African players will be taking to the pitch to show their mettle.
That includes high-profile players such as David Miller, Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Faf du Plessis, Rilee Rossouw, and Heinrich Klaasen.
The latter was the most expensive of the South African contingent in the IPL auction, getting snapped up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for roughly R10.8 million.
With a viewership of over 600 million, the IPL is regarded as a highly-lucrative opportunity for selling advertising.
DStv would have had to buy the rights to broadcast the IPL on SuperSport from Viacom18, a joint venture between Paramount Global and Ambani Reliance Industries.