EFC goes live on SABC
JOBURG - Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) will go live on SABC following the signing of an agreement between the two parties.
Lovers of the Extreme Fighting Championship (EFC) will for the first time be able to watch their favourite fighters live on SABC following the conclusion of a two-year agreement between the two parties.
This was announced at a press conference at the Sandton gym of the EFC at the Sandhurst Centre by the SABC group executive for sport, Sully Motsweni and EFC president Cairo Howarth.
Though they would not disclose how much money has been earmarked for the deal, Motsweni described the conclusion of the agreement as ‘a big day for SABC sport and the SABC as millions of EFC fans in more than 110 countries will, for the first time, be able to watch their favourite fighting stars live on the box’.
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The screenings will begin on 11 February on SABC 3 and Motsweni said they were delighted to be able to bring on board a new genre of sport as opposed to the traditional sporting codes such as athletics, boxing, cricket, football and rugby.
Through the broadcasts, Motsweni said they hoped to build the profiles of individuals and entities behind the sport as well. They hope to build the sport in the country and other parts of the African continent that will be tuned-in, and this should bring new members into the fold.
Howarth said his mixed martial arts organisation, which is a leader on the African continent, was delighted with the deal as it would not only raise the profile of the fighters and the sport but would also rake in potential sponsors for the fighters and the sport in general.
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The new partnership will see hours of dedicated EFC programming every week on SABC 3, as well as 10 live EFC event broadcasts per year, where SABC 3 will broadcast two hours of exciting EFC programming every Saturday evening from 9pm.
The best bouts from the EFC will be featured along with premium programming building up to each new live championship event. On the evening of every EFC event, SABC 3 will broadcast the full three-hour live event, featuring the five main-card bouts.
Topping the major events of the EFC calendar will be the all-important fight taking place at Carnival City on 4 March, known as the EFC 57.
The fight will feature two champions, Newcastle-born fighter, now Alberton resident and reigning flyweight champion Nkazimulo Zulu, and Sunninghill resident and interim flyweight champion, JP Buys in a title unification bout. This will be the first live broadcast of the EFC.
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