What's it like to follow European soccer from Ethiopia

Athletics come to mind when people hear the name Ethiopia. But, by some distance (no pun intended), the most popular sport in Ethiopia has always been soccer, with European competitions drawing large crowds in show houses. Soccer from Europe even tops local competitions in terms of how regularly fans tune in.

Despite the nationwide interest to regularly watch soccer games, Digital Satellite Television (DStv) is currently the sole player in the media landscape. That’s mainly down to the South Africa-based station’s uninterrupted rights to the English Premier League for over a decade.

A short-lived fame by GTV is a testament to that. The satellite television operator owned by Gateway Communications entered the fray in 2007 by beating DStv for the then-Barclays Premier League TV rights. But, by January 2009, GTV entered liquidation and shut down its services.

From its weak signal to the rare availability of decoders, that was a tough time to follow the most popular league for Ethiopians. Luckily DStv was around to win back the rights and continue to deliver high-quality broadcast that includes a studio panel.

The early 2000s set the tone for European soccer in Ethiopia

The satellite TV culture spread in Ethiopia in the early 2000s. Before that, there was hardly a means to watch live games apart from major tournaments. And, with the time intersecting Premier League’s renaissance, the English game resonates with the majority of soccer following community.

As is also the case in neighboring East African regions, Arsenal and Manchester United have a large number of fans because of their respective heydays under Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson. Jose Mourinho’s influence also created a decent Chelsea following. Before Jürgen Klopp’s era, Liverpool’s small fanbase was the doing of Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes and Ian Rush. Similarly, Manchester City is now attracting a new generation of soccer fans.

LaLiga also enjoyed a good following in the 13th-most populous country in the world. But it hasn’t been the same since the end of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s tenures at Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. In addition to the Premier League, LaLiga and Champions League, the station has held Serie A rights since Ronaldo’s high-profile transfer to Juventus. You can also watch the Europa League, European Conference League and all the major tournaments through their platform. Since 2020, DStv has also allowed its subscribers to stream games using personal devices.

What about others?

ESPN Africa, which can be accessed through a DStv subscription, currently airs multiple competitions with two channels. The Eredivisie, Turkish Süper Lig, English Championship, Belgian Jupiler Pro League and the Scottish Premiership are among their offerings.

It also has a DFB Pokal coverage for us to enjoy Germany’s cup competition. But both DStv and ESPN Africa have no interest in chasing the rights for Bundesliga and Ligue 1.

For nearly four years, Canal+ Ethiopia transmitted the two leagues and the Saudi Pro League in a local language commentary. Unfortunately, the French-based company decided to shut down the channel after this summer’s Copa America coverage.

But that might not be the last of their legacy in the Ethiopian market. Vivendi-owned Canal+ now owns more than 45% of MultiChoice, the parent company for DStv. That will most likely open the door for another try to enter the Ethiopian market for the broadcaster that operates in more than 50 countries.

Moreover, StarTimes offers Bundesliga alongside several other competitions, including LaLiga and South American soccer. But it’s not easy to access the multinational media company from Ethiopia. This article’s author recently noticed the closure of StarTimes’ only registered office in the capital city, Addis Ababa.

All these factors left DStv to provide the only legal and accessible means to follow certain leagues. For those competitions not on their offering list, sadly, illegal streaming services are the only options.

PHOTOS: IMAGO