CAF faces growing pressure over AFCON 2025 broadcast access as Francophone broadcasters protest

CAF receives mounting criticism from several major Francophone broadcasters less than two months before the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The dispute centres on access to broadcast rights for the continent’s biggest football event.

A coalition of French-speaking public media executives sent a formal letter to CAF president Patrice Motsepe to condemn what they describe as unequal and “discriminatory” terms in the current broadcast allocation.

They argue that the structure deprives millions of viewers of full free-to-air access to a competition that holds deep cultural and national significance across Africa.

At present, Francophone broadcasters hold rights to only 33 matches.

Their English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking counterparts, along with a major international pay-TV operator based outside Africa, hold broadcasting rights to all 52 fixtures.

The coalition insists that this imbalance undermines fairness and limits public access to a major continental event that many African households traditionally follow on national television.

The group frames its appeal around media sovereignty and equal access. Its leaders call on CAF to open full coverage of the tournament to public broadcasters, arguing that millions of viewers depend on free-to-air channels.

They urge Motsepe to ensure that every African, regardless of language or region, can follow the tournament without barriers.

They stress that AFCON symbolises unity, pride, and shared identity and must remain accessible to the broadest possible audience.

The broadcasters warn CAF against favouring private pay-TV operators at the expense of national channels with the widest reach.

They argue that any form of preferential treatment threatens both fairness and the spirit of inclusivity the competition represents.

Members of the coalition include senior figures from RTS in Senegal, RTI and NCI in Ivory Coast, CRTV in Cameroon, RTG in Guinea, ANAMA in Chad, GGT in Gabon, RTB in Burkina Faso, ORTM in Mali, and ORTN in Niger.

They continue to press CAF for a resolution as anticipation builds for the opening match in Morocco.