WeeklySA_AdminCHANNELS: Fans across more than 50 Sub-Saharan African countries can follow the 2026 NFL season live on ESPN and ESPN2, while South African viewers also have access through Disney+…
By Monk Nkomo
CAPE TOWN — The National Football League has expanded access to the 2026 season across Sub-Saharan Africa, giving a rapidly growing continental fan base live coverage from the opening game through to Super Bowl LXI.
ESPN and ESPN2 will broadcast matches in more than 50 African countries throughout the regular season and playoffs. In South Africa, coverage from both channels will also be simulcast on Disney+.
The extensive schedule began with the NFL Kickoff Game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots — a rematch of Super Bowl LX — and will continue every week during the regular season.
Fans will be able to watch live Sunday afternoon games, followed by Sunday Night Football. The weekly offering will also include Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football, giving viewers access to some of the league’s most anticipated fixtures.
ESPN will carry the postseason in full, culminating in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on February 15, 2027. The championship decider is scheduled to begin at 1.30am South African time.
The increased broadcast coverage forms part of the NFL’s drive to grow American football in Africa, where the league says its fan base and player representation are expanding.
“The NFL is growing fast across Africa — not only in the size of the fan base, but in the number of players from the continent that fans can now watch and call their own,” said NFL senior director of international business development and media Laura Louisy.
She said ESPN would provide African supporters with a consistent destination for NFL action throughout the season, from the opening fixture to the Super Bowl.
Kyle De Klerk, sports director for The Walt Disney Company Africa, said the agreement strengthened ESPN’s long association with the NFL while bringing more premium international sport to African audiences.
“The NFL is a major global sports brand with an incredibly strong heritage and growing connections to the continent,” De Klerk said.
The broadcast expansion complements the NFL’s other development initiatives across Africa. These include the NFL Academy, programmes promoting flag football and efforts to identify and develop young talent.
The league has also highlighted the growing number of players of African birth or heritage competing on NFL rosters, helping supporters on the continent forge a stronger connection with the sport.
Coverage will be available in markets including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.
