The South African Breweries stepped in at the last minute to help ensure the South African Broadcasting Corporation was able to show the big Rugby Championship fixture on 31 August between the Springboks and All Blacks live on free-to-air television.
SAB announced that it had “secured the broadcast rights” for the SABC to show the highly-anticipated game at Emirates Airline Park. The game was televised live on SABC 2, ensuring that millions of South Africans were able to witness the exciting match.
The deal involved sub-licensing the free-to-air rights from rights-holder SuperSport, with the deal billed as a celebration of 30 years of South African democracy, involving SuperSport, the SABC, the sports ministry, and SABC.
This is not the first time a sponsor has helped fund the SABC’s broadcast of a Springbok match. In September last year it was announced that SAB, Hollywoodbets, and Pineapple would pay $3 million (R54 million) to help the SABC cover MultiChoice’s price for sub-licencing the Rugby World Cup broadcasting rights.
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“At SAB, we understand the deep connection that South Africans have with rugby, and sports in general. Sport is a uniting force for our country, and therefore, making this match available to millions of South Africans through the SABC was an easy decision to make,” said Richard Rivett-Carnac, Chief Executive Officer, SAB. “We are proud to have unmatched heritage in sports sponsorships across several sporting codes. Sports, as always, reminds us of the very best we can be as South Africans, and that is something to cheers to.”
According to SAB, this move underscored Castle Lager’s long-standing commitment to supporting South African sports, ensuring fans nationwide can rally behind their teams and favourite players. For over two decades, the brand has been a Springbok sponsor.
“SAB’s appreciation of the power of the SABC brand and its sub-brands is incredible. I strongly believe that through this partnership both our brands will continue to register great spin-offs and maximise return on investment,” said Nomsa Chabeli, SABC CEO.
“South African Rugby is pleased by this agreement between SAB and the SABC, relating to this match, which is of historical significance to South Africans,” said Mark Alexander, President of SA Rugby. “We want to thank SAB for this selfless act of generosity in partnering with the SABC, which will result in South Africans being able to share in this momentous occasion. It is a significant milestone in our sport, reflecting the progress we’ve made over the past three decades and underscoring our commitment to fostering social cohesion.”
