YouTube to stream live sport in SA

Johannesburg - Sports fans will now have access to LIVE and Video On Demand (VOD) streaming on YouTube.

The video-sharing website service announced on Tuesday that sports fanatics can now enjoy basketball, rugby, cricket and football events on YouTube via video on demand (VOD) and highlights packages including the recent NBA Finals, UEFA Champions League, ABSA Premiership, Serie A, La Liga, Women’s World Cup, UFC and AFCON.

South Africans will also be able to view select live sporting events on YouTube in the future. 

Sports consumption on YouTube in the EMEA region is growing fast. In 2018 alone, YouTube saw a 70% increase in views of sports and fitness related content - totalling more than 61 billion views. In Africa, sports content on YouTube is both broad and deep with YouTube delivering evergreen sporting highlights alongside new and emerging sports experiences like home fitness and 79% of viewers saying that YouTube has sport and fitness content they can’t find anywhere else.

"It goes without saying that Africa is sport-loving continent, so it makes perfect sense for us to bring African sports fans what they love. Our audience is constantly looking for sports content on YouTube,” says YouTube content partnerships lead Dayo Olopade.

"In 2018, we saw a 70% increase of views in Sports & Fitness content on YouTube across Europe, the Middle East and Africa with content garnering more than 61 billion views. Today we are here to say we hear you and we are more than happy to bring you the content you desire, in partnership with NBA Africa and our other partners.”

In June video on demand service Showmax moved into live streaming sport.

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