CSA
India's upcoming cricket tour to South Africa will not be broadcast on the SABC.
The tour, consisting of three T20's, three ODI's and 2 Tests, starts this Sunday.
In a statement issued by Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Friday, it said they had been involved in protracted negotiations on the free-to-air broadcast rights, which are exclusively owned by CSA to ensure that the game is accessible to the larger South African population.
CSA says on 29 November they received an offer from the SABC at a massively discounted rate to which they agreed seven days later, however, hours after their full acceptance of their offer, the SABC informed them that they were unable to broadcast the India tour due to a withdrawal of potential sponsors.
5?? Days To Go!
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 5, 2023
The ultimate series waits between old foes in Mzansi ????
The Freedom Series gets underway this Sunday in a SOLD OUT Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium ????????????????
Catch all of the #SAvIND action LIVE this summer ?#WozaNawe #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/lmp4SFCzGa
It says the free-to-air rights remain available and should the SABC be able to attract sponsorship, CSA is willing to conclude an agreement which will ensure the India tour is enjoyed by millions of South Africans.
The second T20 will be on the 12th of December at St Georges Park at 20.30 while the second ODI will be played in Gqeberha on the 19th of December.
Cricket fans were also left in the dark as the SABC was unable to broadcast the recent World Cup in India.
