Struggling Athletics SA says deal struck with SABC; Two Oceans and other events to be broadcast

Embattled Athletics South Africa (ASA) has averted a crisis, saying it has signed a deal with SABC that will bring much-needed cash into its coffers.

Until recently there had been uncertainty about whether TV viewers would be able to watch distance queen Gerda Steyn bid for her seventh Two Oceans crown in Cape Town on Saturday — or any other of the sport’s flagship events around the country.

An official announcement has yet to be made, but the federation’s acting CEO Terrence Magogodela told the Sunday Times a three-year deal had been struck with the national broadcaster.

There had been fears of a broadcast blackout after ASA — facing calls for its board to be dissolved amid governance issues — had turned down SuperSport’s offer to renew their four-year contract, which ended last year.

It is understood the pay channel, in the midst of cuts under new owner Canal+, had offered less than it had previously.

Comrades, Two Oceans to be flighted live as struggling ASA reaches three-year deal with public broadcaster

The most recent audited financial statements showed that ASA received R12.6m in broadcast rights in 2024, R11.9m in 2023 and R11.3m in 2022. These comprised 31% to 39% of ASA’s total income.

The SABC was cagey when approached by the Sunday Times, saying it would broadcast the Two Oceans “if the agreement with Athletics SA … is finalised”.

Streaming rights

Magogodela declined to give the value of the 11th-hour contract with SABC, but said a major difference was that, unlike with SuperSport, ASA would retain streaming rights. “We want to be able to tap into that.”

He added the deal would include other top-drawer events like the South African track and field championships in Stellenbosch from April 16-18, the Cape Town Marathon on May 24 and the Comrades Marathon on June 14.

But some insiders are cautious, saying the SuperSport broadcasts are higher quality than SABC’s, and also questioning how much content would be aired as opposed to streamed.

Another recalled that the last time the SABC carried the Comrades, the last two hours of the coverage were blighted by adverts.

Now for the next crisis, where the ASA board is under scrutiny to perform.

World Athletics is monitoring “a comprehensive series of reforms and safeguards” the ASA board had promised to put in place, it told the Sunday Times. “World Athletics will continue to monitor the situation and the implementation of these reforms and safeguards by ASA.”

Board failure

Parliament’s sport, arts and culture committee this week said it would recommend to sport minister Gayton McKenzie that the board be dissolved “due to its inability to undertake its fiduciary duties and for its failure to protect and preserve the interests of athletes”.

The committee was critical of the manner in which ASA had handled the disciplinary process of president James Moloi, who was suspended last year after an investigation showed alleged abuse of his ASA credit card.

A disciplinary inquiry dismissed the case on a technicality and instructed Moloi be reinstated, but the board overturned that decision and recently decided to hold an independent disciplinary inquiry.

Magogodela was acquitted on charges relating to Moloi’s unchecked spending, but the ASA CFO was reprimanded.

Under administration

The parliamentary committee was also unimpressed by the failure of the 2025 Soweto Marathon and 2024 Mpumalanga Marathon to pay out prize money.

But World Athletics is the only body with the authority to act against ASA.

When the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) placed ASA under administration in 2013, they were forced to retreat after the international body stepped in and ordered them to back off.

There is a feeling in some quarters that the move to oust the ASA board is being pushed by people with a political desire to take over the federation.

Richard Mayer, a lawyer who has coached and served as an administrator over the years, wrote to the parliamentary committee this week warning against an executive clean-out.

“Recent developments in the sport … strongly point to the fact that the information on which the statement issued by the committee on sport was based has been supplied … by third parties who are disgruntled bad actors in pursuit of their own personal ambitions in consequence of their failure to achieve the positions of power and authority they unsuccessfully sought in the sport.”