More than 500 million African football fans are expected to have access to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) through free-to-air television following a broadcast rights agreement secured by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The arrangement will enable national terrestrial television stations across sub-Saharan Africa to broadcast live matches of the tournament, expanding access for fans who cannot afford subscription-based television services.

The competition, branded AFCON PAMOJA 2027, will run from 19 June to 17 July 2027, with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania becoming the first three countries to jointly host the continental showpiece.

The agreement involves Media Experts Limited (MEL) and Media Business Solutions (MBS), which will distribute live match feeds to national broadcasters across the region. Nigeria, South Africa and the three host countries are among the key markets expected to benefit from the arrangement.

CAF said the deal was aimed at widening access to its competitions, although the specific television stations that will broadcast the matches in individual countries are yet to be announced.

The agreement also covers several other continental competitions, including the U-17 and U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, as well as the African Futsal and Beach Soccer championships.

The move comes against the backdrop of growing audiences for African football. CAF President Patrice Motsepe has previously highlighted the competition’s expanding global reach, with the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire attracting substantial audiences.

According to figures cited in the announcement, the 2025 edition in Morocco generated 3.6 billion viewers worldwide, with the combined audience figure rising to six billion when digital views across social media platforms were included.

CAF also reported a 61 per cent increase in viewership across Europe, Asia and South America, based on preliminary research.

Free-to-air television remains a major channel for football audiences in Africa, where subscription costs can limit access to live sporting events.

The GeoPoll Africa Football Survey 2026 found that 96 per cent of respondents in Nigeria and Kenya, and 91 per cent in Ghana, followed football. Free-to-air television was the leading platform for watching live matches in Nigeria, cited by 64 per cent of respondents.

Chief Executive Officer of Media Experts Limited, Kunle Falodun, said the agreement would make the tournament accessible to a wider audience across the continent.

His counterpart at Media Business Solutions (UK) Ltd, Richard Dimosi Diasolwa, said the partnership would build on the company’s experience distributing the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire.

The 2027 edition will be the first AFCON hosted jointly by three countries and the first to return to East Africa since Ethiopia staged the competition in 1976.

With the tournament less than a year away, attention will turn to the participating teams, preparations in the host countries and the confirmation of broadcast partners in individual markets.