Pan-African broadcaster, New World TV remains indebted to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with an outstanding amount of $34 million, casting doubts on its ability to broadcast the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
This financial strain already impacted the channel during the final matches of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers when CAF refused to grant it access to the radio beam due to delays in payment.
In 2023, CAF signed a landmark Media Rights Agreement with New World TV after a highly competitive tender process involving global broadcasters and agencies. The agreement granted New World TV exclusive rights for Free-to-Air and Pay-TV broadcasts across Sub-Saharan Africa, covering English and local languages from 2023 to 2025.
The agreement was hailed as a significant step in making CAF competitions more accessible across the continent. However, the broadcaster’s financial struggles now threaten the partnership.
With the 2025 AFCON set to kick off in Morocco, questions remain about whether New World TV can resolve its financial obligations in time to secure broadcast rights for the tournament.
The unresolved debt also raises broader concerns about the sustainability of such high-stakes broadcasting agreements and their implications for the dissemination of African football content.
