PSL chair Irvin Khoza celebrates new TV deal with Canal+, SuperSport

On the same day that CANAL+ Group announced its listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), the French broadcast powerhouse also confirmed that they have extended their broadcast rights with the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

CANAL+ is the new owner of MultiChoice and Supersport, the biggest sports channel on the continent. The league has just concluded another sensational season after Orlando Pirates pipped Mamelodi Sundowns to the title on the last day of the season. The PSL and Supersport entered into this broadcast partnership in 2007, and the public broadcaster, the SABC, was the previous TV rights holder.

Reads the statement from the PSL chairman Irvin Khoza: “Today is not simply a financial milestone. Today is a statement of intent. When a company chooses to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, it is not merely seeking capital. It is planting a flag. It is saying: we believe in this country, we believe in this market, and we believe in what we are building here together.

“I have spent many years in football. Long enough to know that the game is not preserved by sentiment alone. Institutions require stewardship. Relationships require honesty. And legacies require the courage to have difficult conversations, even with partners you respect and admire. I will be candid, as is my nature. The road to where we stand today was not always a smooth one – and nor should it have been.

“When the company of Canal+ global scale enters a market like ours, it arrives with ambition, with conviction, and with a model that has succeeded across continents. That is precisely what makes Canal+ formidable partners. It is also what made it necessary at times, for us to remind one another of something important.

“South Africa is not another market. The PSL is not merely another rights package.

• The consumption of the PSL football has evolved beyond passive spectatorship. The PSL exists today as a live, continuously interpreted national experience.

• The gap between seasons is palpable. Supporters experience the absence of football almost emotionally. They talk of it being lonely until the new league season starts.

• The knowledgeable supporter has become highly analytical – their conversations cover form, momentum shifts, tactical trends, player psychology, institutional dynamics and historical patters in real time.

• Betting markets and algorithms increasingly reflect this depth of consumption. Knowledgeable supporters are often able to identify the breakup of trends and momentum.

• PSL matches are no longer isolated fixtures. They are events within a larger ongoing national narrative where every result carries consequence for another.

• Do not be fooled by low attendances in some of the matches. The following and consumption is consistently high. Go to the socials and you will realise this.

• The socials have groupings dedicated to the PSL as a subject of knowledgeable consumption.”

“This league carries the hopes of communities, the aspirations of young players, and the pride of millions of supporters. It is woven into the social fabric of our nation. There were moments during our discussions where I had to ensure that the unique character of South African football was fully understood and fully respected. Not to obstruct ambition, but to anchor it. Not to resist change, but to ensure that progress was built on a genuine appreciation of what this league means to this country.

“I say this not as criticism. I say it as tribute.  And a leader who listens — especially when it would be easier not to — is a leader worthy of respect. From the beginning of this journey, Canal+ made a promise. They said they understood the significance of what they were investing in. They said they would be partners in the truest sense — not extractors, but investors. Not tenants, but long-term custodians.

“Importantly, they have honoured that promise at a time when the media industry faces significant challenges around the world. Across broadcasting, technology, and sport, the businesses are navigating economic pressures and changing consumer behaviours. Yet despite those realities, Canal+ has continued to invest in South African football and in the future of this league.

“That commitment matters. Standing here today, I can say that the future of the Premier Soccer League is secure. Today, we celebrate the continued partnership between Canal+, SuperSport, and the Premier Soccer League — a partnership that will ensure South African football remains visible, valued, and financially sustainable for years to come.

“The Premier Soccer League is not merely the pre-eminent football competition in South Africa. It is one of the great football institutions on the African continent. For generations, it has provided young people with a dream to chase, a pathway to opportunity, and a stage on which talent can flourish.

“The success of that pathway is visible today. A significant number of players representing Bafana Bafana on the road to the Fifa World Cup have emerged through the DStv Diski Challenge – a development platform that has become one of the most important investments in the future of South African football. That is what sustainable football looks like. One’s responsibility as a chairman is always to leave the league stronger, more secure, and more respected than when I started.

“This partnership forms part of that responsibility. The rights secured through this agreement will provide stability to our clubs, certainty to our supporters, opportunities for our players, and a foundation upon which the next generation of South African football can continue to grow.

“To the JSE and to the broader investment community: what you are witnessing today is what responsibility looks like. Canal+ has chosen South Africa. They have chosen the PSL. And in doing so, they have demonstrated confidence in the growth, resilience, and the future of African football.

I believe they have made a wise investment. To the entire Canal+ family, congratulations on this important milestone. May your listing mark the beginning of a new chapter defined not only by commercial success, but by the enduring success of a game that unites communities, transcends differences, and inspires millions. And to our supporters across South Africa: The PSL is secure. Its future is protected and the best is still ahead,” the statement concluded.

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