The Confederation of African Football has invited media companies to bid for broadcasting rights to its major club competitions, opening a new tender covering selected sub-Saharan African markets and competitions scheduled through 2028.
The tender, announced on 2 November 2026, covers the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup for 2026, 2027 and 2028. It also includes the CAF Super Cup and CAF Women’s Champions League for 2027 and 2028.
CAF says submissions close on 11 November at 17:00 Cairo time, equivalent to 15:00 GMT. The invitation is an opportunity for prospective broadcasters to compete for rights; it is not an announcement that a new contract has been awarded.
The available packages include English-language pay television and local-language rights in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as free-to-air television rights in all languages across the specified region.
CAF explicitly excludes the Middle East and North Africa in all languages and French-language pay-TV rights from this tender. Those limitations are important because the headline geographic scope does not mean every broadcast right in every African market is available.
Media-rights agreements are a central part of the commercial model of professional sport. Broadcasters and distributors pay for access to events that attract audiences, while rights holders use that revenue to support competitions and related activities.
The financial value of the tender has not been disclosed. It would therefore be premature to attach a contract valuation or claim that the process has already produced new revenue for CAF.
CAF presents the tender as part of efforts to expand the visibility and commercial appeal of its interclub competitions. The Champions League and Confederation Cup bring together leading clubs from domestic leagues across the continent, providing broadcasters with recurring regional sporting content.
For clubs and national football systems, the strength of the broadcast market can affect visibility and sponsorship opportunities. However, the relationship between a rights agreement and club-level benefits depends on how revenues are distributed and on the terms of competition participation.
The inclusion of the Women’s Champions League is notable. The competition provides a continental stage for women’s clubs, and broadcasting access can influence audience growth and the ability of teams and players to attract commercial interest.
Greater visibility does not automatically translate into sustainable finances for women’s football. Clubs still need domestic competition structures, player-development systems, facilities and dependable operating budgets.
The distinction between pay television and free-to-air rights also matters to viewers. Pay-TV distribution can support subscription-based business models, while free-to-air access may help competitions reach households that do not purchase premium sports packages.
Local-language rights may further shape audience access by allowing broadcasters to serve different linguistic markets. The final outcome will depend on which organisations bid, which territories are covered and how the rights are packaged.
Digital distribution is another part of the broader sports-media landscape, although CAF’s announcement should not be read as awarding or specifying rights beyond those expressly described in the tender.
CAF has asked interested organisations to request the formal invitation-to-tender documentation through its media sales channel. That documentation will govern the detailed bidding requirements and commercial conditions.
The process is separate from decisions about the scheduling of the Africa Cup of Nations. It concerns the distribution and commercial exploitation of club competitions, rather than the frequency of the national-team tournament.
With the submission deadline approaching, the next material development will be the outcome of the bidding process and any confirmed award. Until then, the announcement signals a commercial opportunity rather than a completed transaction.
For African football, the tender offers a useful indicator of how governing bodies are seeking to position continental club competitions within an increasingly competitive market for live sports content.
Sources
Confederation of African Football, media rights tender announcement (2 November 2026)
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