The National Football League today confirmed how fans across Sub-Saharan Africa can follow the 2026 NFL season, with live coverage on ESPN and ESPN2 in more than 50 countries across the continent, as well as on the simulcast of both channels on Disney+ in South Africa.
Coverage begins with the NFL Kickoff Game, live in the early hours of Thursday, September 10 — (1:20am WAT, 2:20 am CAT and SAST, and 3:20 am EAT) — as the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl LX. Coverage then continues every week of the regular season. Fans will be able to watch live games in both Sunday afternoon windows, followed by Sunday Night Football. Primetime coverage runs through the week with Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football.
ESPN will carry the postseason in full, concluding with Super Bowl LXI from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, live in the early hours of Monday, February 15 — (2:30am WAT, 1:30 am CAT and SAST, and 2:30am EAT.)
“The NFL is growing fast across Africa — not only in the size of the fanbase, but in the number of players from the continent that fans can now watch and call their own,” said Laura Louisy, NFL senior director of international business development and media, “and ESPN gives those fans a consistent home for the game every week, from the Kickoff Game through to the Super Bowl.”
“The NFL is a major global sports brand with an incredibly strong heritage and growing connections to the continent,” commented Kyle De Klerk, Director: Sports for The Walt Disney Company Africa. “ESPN has a storied, decades-long history with the NFL, and we are proud to build on that legacy by bringing this year’s season to sports fans, building on our quality global programming featuring the best of American and international sports to audiences across Africa.”
ESPN’s coverage sits alongside the NFL’s wider work across the continent, including the NFL Academy, the growth of flag football and the rising number of players of African heritage on NFL rosters.
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