214 Countries, 17 Languages: BAL announces record-breaking broadcast for 2024 season
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has unveiled its global broadcast plan for the 2024 season, reaching fans in 214 countries and territories across 17 languages.
The 2024 expanded fourth season of the league will tip off on Saturday, 9 March 2024, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa and will subsequently feature the top 12 club teams from 12 African countries playing a record 48 games in Pretoria; Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; and Kigali, Rwanda over four months, marking the first BAL games in South Africa and the first time the league will play games in four different countries.
In Africa, select free-to-air channels will showcase BAL games with the support of the African Union of Broadcasting (AUB) to reinforce the league’s presence on the continent. Meanwhile, the American Forces Network (AFN) will deliver select games live and on delay to U.S. military bases and ships at sea in 166 countries and territories.
For Francophone audiences in sub-Saharan Africa, Canal+ continues its longstanding partnership, broadcasting every BAL game and producing original programming dedicated to the league. In China, Tencent Video will provide coverage, extending the BAL’s reach into one of the world’s largest markets.
NBA TV remains a vital platform for BAL fans globally, broadcasting all 48 games live or on delay in the United States and beyond. Canadian viewers can catch the action on TSN, while TV5 Monde will air select games in sub-Saharan Africa.
Voice of America (VOA) will utilise its extensive radio network in Africa to broadcast games, offering coverage in multiple languages, including English, French, Portuguese, and Kinyarwanda/Kirundi. VOA and the BAL will collaborate on additional programming, including podcasts available across their online platforms.
Visionary TV’s streaming platform, “Vision View TV,” will bring BAL games to select African countries, accompanied by original programming such as the ten-episode magazine show “BAL Action.”
For online audiences, every BAL game will be livestreamed on the NBA App, NBA.com, and BAL.NBA.com for the third consecutive season. Additionally, FIBA’s digital platform, Courtside 1891, will feature BAL highlights and exclusive content.
YouTube will broadcast 48 BAL games live or on delay in the U.S. and worldwide, catering to a diverse audience, with select games available in Portuguese for viewers in Brazil.
