The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has thrown its full support behind CANAL+ in the battle against piracy, describing illegal streaming as one of the biggest threats to the future of professional football and sports broadcasting in South Africa.
The league reaffirmed its commitment during its annual Interface meeting with CANAL+, MultiChoice (Pty) Ltd and SuperSport, where stakeholders discussed broadcast strategies and preparations for the landmark 30th PSL season and the years ahead.
A major focus of the meeting was the growing challenge of digital piracy, including illegal streaming platforms, stream-ripping services, unlicensed applications and unauthorized websites. These activities continue to cost broadcasters, rights holders and commercial partners billions of rand in lost revenue while undermining investment in professional sport.
The PSL warned that piracy affects the entire football ecosystem, impacting clubs, players, sponsors, broadcasters and supporters alike by reducing the financial resources needed to grow the game.
PSL Chairman Dr Irvin Khoza urged football fans, clubs and stakeholders to support CANAL+’s efforts to eliminate illegal viewing and protect the league’s long-term sustainability.
“We need to make sure that people support the CANAL+ project, to ensure that it’s a viable proposition, especially on the issues of piracy. There is illegal viewing of DStv content, and we cannot allow that to happen,” said Dr Khoza.
He also praised CANAL+ for its significant investment in South African football, highlighting the broadcaster’s long-term commitment to the PSL.
“The sponsor is genuine. To invest this kind of money at the first go, it means their heart is at the right place, so we are going to work with them with the same attitude and the same demeanour that we did with SuperSport.”
Dr Khoza further revealed that CANAL+ demonstrated its confidence in the PSL by extending its partnership through to 2034 during their initial discussions.
“A miracle happened with our new partners, CANAL+. The first meeting we had with CANAL+, they extended the contract to 2034, which shows that they appreciate the PSL product. Our job is to make sure that we give them the support and to maintain the viewership that we have developed over the years. Kudos to CANAL+, they have started on the right footing.”
The renewed partnership and united stance against piracy come at a pivotal moment as the PSL prepares to celebrate its historic 30th season, with league officials determined to protect the value of South African football and ensure continued investment from broadcast partners for years to come.
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