ESPN Africa has announced the acquisition of broadcast rights to France’s TOP 14, adding another rugby league to the channels in sub-Saharan Africa (DStv 218 and 219, Starsat 248) and Disney+ in South Africa.
The action kicks off this Saturday April 18 with three match-ups including Stade Rochelais vs Union Bordeaux Bègles (14:30 on ESPN 2), Aviron Bayonnais vs Section Paloise (16:35 on ESPN 2) and Castres Olympique vs Antoine Dupont’s Stade Toulousain (21:00 on ESPN 2).
Sunday April 19 sees Racing 92 take on Stade Français Paris at 21:00 CAT on ESPN 2, making for a weekend full of exhilarating rugby action.
The league features a strong South African presence, with Springbok forward Jean-Luc du Preez, as well as Arno Botha and Nico Janse van Rensburg, adding local interest and familiar faces for African audiences following the action.
ESPN will air four live matches every week, showcasing the standout fixtures from each round alongside six playoff matches per season. All games will be broadcast with English commentary and graphics, allowing audiences to fully follow the narrative of the competition as it unfolds from round one through to the decisive moments.
ESPN Africa’s coverage will allow fans to follow the league in depth. The 2025 to 2026 season broadcasts will include 36 regular season matches and six playoff games, while the 2026 to 2027 and 2027 to 2028 seasons will each feature 104 regular season fixtures, plus six playoff encounters.
TOP 14 Rugby joins ESPN Africa’s robust rugby offering that including the Springbok dominated Japan Rugby League One. Furthermore, this latest addition builds on the wide range of sporting codes already available across the ESPN channels, including basketball, baseball, football, hockey, American football and more.
“We are delighted to welcome the TOP 14 French Rugby League to the ESPN Africa offering. The TOP 14 is considered as the leading domestic rugby competition globally and we are excited to offer our audiences the very best in European rugby competition alongside our wide breadth of premier sports programming,” shared Kyle De Klerk, Director of Sports at The Walt Disney Company Africa.
“This agreement with ESPN Africa marks an important step in the international growth of the TOP 14. It will give more fans across a major rugby region the opportunity to experience the intensity, passion and unique identity of French professional rugby,” said Yann Roubert, President of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby.
For updates regarding the French TOP 14 rugby and other sports, fans can connect to @ESPNAfrica on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit africa.espn.com.
How to tune in to ESPN:
ESPN: DStv 218, StarTimes 248
ESPN2: DStv 219, StarTimes 249
ESPN linear channels are available on Disney+ in South Africa
All times are stated in CAT / SAST. Schedule subject to change
