FIFA has announced a deal with the African Union of Broadcaster (AUB) that will see all the 2010 FIFA World Cup Games being screened on free-to-air television throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
The agreement, which was reached during the General Assembly of AUB in Cotonou, Benin on Wednesday, ensures the distribution and broadcasting of all 64 FIFA World Cup matches live on free-to-air television and radio in 41 territories in English, French and Portuguese.
“We always promised that 2010 would be an African World Cup and with today’s cooperation agreement we have made a big step towards achieving this goal,” said FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter.
In addition to the free screening of World Cup games, the agreement between FIFA and the AUB provides for the establishment of a Broadcast Academy.
FIFA and the AUB will jointly conduct workshops for up to 3 000 radio and TV professionals in up to 41 countries to pass on best practices in the field of football broadcasting and build capacity in areas such as TV journalism, commentary, commercial planning and match TV production
The AUB-FIFA Broadcasting Academy is expected to roll out a similar project for written press as well as photographers.
The AUB is a union of national radio and television organisations from 16 African countries including Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan and Swaziland.
The union aims to support development in Africa through the delivery of world class broadcasting services. One of the AUB’s goals is to set up a Pan African Broadcasting Network that would bring together the various broadcasters in projecting the true African perspective.
