With just days to the launch of the new 2022/23 DStv Premiership season, plans are in place to ensure it remains a compelling television draw to ensure thousands of fans are royally entertained from beginning to end.
The teams themselves are no strangers to delivering high-end action, riveting storylines, and thrilling rivalries. It thus falls to SuperSport to tell this sweeping story through innovative use of technology, clinical analysis, and supplementary programming.
The opening weekend already promises a match with needle, pitting five-time champions Mamelodi Sundowns against Cape Town City (August 5), who finished second last season.
This will be the opening match of a marathon of live Premier Soccer League broadcasts, which will total a record 260 by season’s end. In addition to the traditional linear match broadcasts, other matches will be streamed on the DStv app, thus affording viewers the opportunity to see all the action from the PSL.
With a fresh rallying cry - “BabizeBonke Si Gcwale Nge Diski” -- the DStv Premiership will have an unusual rhythm in the coming season, having to go into hibernation during the Fifa World Cup that begins in early November.
It will allow teams to re-set, but may also affect the momentum of the early pace-setters – whoever that might be.
PSL weekend action will begin on Fridays with a 30-minute studio buildup from 7pm. Post-match analysis will run for a half hour.
For Saturdays, the first match of the day will have an hour build-up beginning at 2pm, ahead of the 3pm kickoff. The next match will begin at 5.30 and will enjoy a 30-minute buildup.
The last kickoff of the day will be at 8pm with a half-hour buildup anchored from studio.
At the end on this match every week, SuperSport will have an extended experts’ discussion on “Fan Base” that takes in all the day’s action. Hosts will be Lwazi Ziqubu and Lindiwe Nxumalo.
Sunday’s 3pm matches will begin the broadcast countdown from 2pm with the subsequent 5.30pm match enjoying a half-hour buildup.
Finally, the popular Tuesday & Wednesday action (AmaTuesdays / AmaWednesdays) will be back-to-back action (5pm and 7.30pm) with 30-minute buildups again a feature.
For fixtures that coincide with public holidays, there will be noteworthy content aimed at celebrating the holiday. Kickoff times on these days will be 3pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm.
Apart from the steady flow of live action throughout the season, SuperSport’s offering will include magazine programming designed to sustain the buzz and excitement of the league.
Mondays: Extra Time, at 8.30pm. hosted by Thomas Mlambo with Ace Ngcobo, Phumudzo Manenzhe, Bongani Khumalo and Matthew Booth.
This hour-long show will be a review of all matches played over the weekend with in-depth analysis from former pro footballers.
Fridays: Woza Weekend (formerly Extra Time Reloaded), hosted by Lwazi Ziqubu, will be an hour-long show broadcast an hour before the buildup to the Friday match scene-setter. The show will preview all the weekend matches with coach and player interviews interspersed with comments from studio guests.