eMedia, which owns both e.tv and the Openview free-to-air satellite service, has taken MultiChoice to court to get the rights to show the Rugby World Cup.
The Springboks beat Tonga on Sunday and are almost certainly through to the quarter-finals, no matter what Scotland do and the numerical conspiracy theories say.
Siya Kolisi will captain the world champions against hosts France on Sunday, 15 October, at 21:00 SAST – in one of the most anticipated games of the tournament.
After a last-minute contract agreement by the SABC with MultiChoice specifically excluded rights for Openview, eMedia warned in early September that it would sue unless these were granted.
“The anticompetitive action is nothing short of domination in trying to prescribe to the free-to-air partner on how to use its broadcasting rights,” eMedia CEO Khalik Sherrif wrote in an open letter. “We believe the action should be strongly condemned and opposed. The 3.2-million households which have been affected by the decision should voice their dissatisfaction.”
The open letter was sent to Sports minister Zizi Kodwa, Communications minister Mondli Gungubele, Trade, industry & competition minister Ebrahim Patel and Competition Commissioner Doris Tshepe.
Now, eMedia and MultiChoice will have their own World Cup showdown – probably without anyone performing the haka – in a South African court on Tuesday, 10 October.
eMedia’s poetry didn’t work
The lawsuit comes after eMedia took out full-page adverts in Sunday newspapers in the form of a poem.
Unconfirmed reports say that irreverent poet ee cummings is not worried that his style of famously Avant Garde syntax is not under threat.
The SABC’s agreement covers 16 of the 48 Rugby World Cup matches – including all the Springbok games. That means the judges have a few days to rule on whether the millions of South Africans without the old analogue TV signal will be able to watch the games.
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If the Springboks beat France – which fanatic fans like me believe they will – then there are two more games featuring the World Champions. His comes as the hero of the 2019 final – Lukhanyo Am – was called up to replace the man he passed the ball to – Makazole Mapimpi – who scored South Africa’s first-ever try in a World Cup final.
Mapimpi’s head-on-head collision with Tonga’s scrumhalf Augustine Pulu sadly means the lightning-fast wing will play no further part. But Am, who is widely considered the best number 13 in the world – despite the obvious talents of Canaan Moodie – is now back in the squad.
Will all those millions of South Africans who rely on Openview be able to watch Am dazzle if he is selected?
