Following the recent deal in Italy with free to air channel Sport Italia, the branded block of action will be launching on SuperSport in July 2005.
It will run for five hours every Sunday morning reaching two million homes across Sub-Saharan Africa.
EE says the deal was achieved by working closely with local partner Johnnic Communications (Johncom), a media and entertainment company listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange with affiliations to M-net’s SuperSport.
Ben Barrett, MD of Extreme Entertainment, said: “South Africa has for a long time been a hub for extreme sports activity, but to all effects a market that has been closed to revenue generating programme licensing opportunities in this genre.”
The block will initially run for a six month period until early 2006, after which time there will be a review and the possibility of launching a full 24/7 Extreme Sports Channel in the region.
Johnnic Communications Rights Management managing director, Craig Paterson, said: “We expect that the format’s radical and exciting appeal will create a unique sports and lifestyle brand that will open up opportunities for various brand extensions. EX extreme drinks, EX-Gear clothing, music and home entertainment are some of the offerings that we intend to launch around the Branded Block.”
