SABC finally joins digital migration race
New sports channel gives public variety
The SABC is getting ahead of the digital migration curve and has begun using digital platforms to deliver the much-awaited sports channel to all South Africans.
The channel and the free-toair sports content is already up and running on three platforms. This means that the sports events that the public broadcaster has been struggling to put on air will now become available on the channel.
The sports channel is operational on three platforms – on Open View (via E-TV channels, but you need a satellite dish for that), on TelkoMONE (for your mobile/phone, you need data or Wi-fi) and the digital terrestrial television (DTT) set-top box that you get at the Post Office or any other electronics shops.
“On the channel itself, we will have the PSL, magazine shows, the Bundesliga, an afternoon sports content show called Sports Arena, Soccer Zone, Sports @10, news wrap and updates and interviews highlights packages. Sports fans
can switch on anytime to get up-to-date with sports around the world and live sports,” said SABC sport general manager Gary Rathbone.
“This means that sports like boxing, tennis, athletics and others that we struggled to put on SABC1, 2 or 3 will now be available on the channel,” added Rathbone.
He said that the Open View set-top box was like a decoder and you plug it to your TV and it gives you a whole lot of free-toair channels that you don’t have to pay for. “About 2.5-million people already have the DTT box. The government has said that the box is for free to people in the low-income bracket and will be available at the Post Office if you qualify. For everyone else, it is about R350-R400 for the box.”