Staffers take a break from dubbing the animation Poppy Cat  into Swahili

There’s good news for football fans in Africa who have been sighing over the end of 2016 UEFA European Championship. Now they can switch to watching Chinese Super League (CSL), China’s highest tier of professional football, which kicked off its 13th edition in March with the finale scheduled on November 5.

At the Sixth African Digital TV Development Seminar held in Beijing on June 23, StarTimes, a Beijing-based digital TV solutions provider, signed a deal with IMG, the New York City-based sports management company which is a strategic partner of the CSL. According to the agreement, StarTimes will have all rebroadcasting rights to CSL matches in Southern Africa. This is the first time the CSL is being broadcast in Africa.

Though the CSL is not as popular as the Bundesliga in Germany, it has numerous world-class players like Gervais Yao Kouassi from Cote d’Ivoire, Obafemi Martins from Nigeria, Asamoah Gyan from Ghana and Brazilian Givanildo Vieira de Souza, better known as Hulk. African football aficionados can now watch the fixtures to their hearts' content, thanks to the innovative Chinese satellite television provider.

In addition, with seven sports channels, StarTimes has already been offering African football fans some of the world’s most popular football league matches like the Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, and French Ligue 1.

A compelling choice

Founded in 1988, StarTimes is a Chinese company that initially provided information technology solutions. Faced with increasingly fierce competition in China, Pang Xinxing, head of the enterprise, decided to transform his company into a media content provider and was inspired to look to overseas markets.

In 2003, StarTimes decided to head for Africa. Thanks to the decision, today, it has subsidiaries in 30 African countries, ranging from Nigeria and Kenya to Rwanda and Mozambique. With about 8 million subscribers, due to its affordability, StarTimes is now an established digital TV operator on the continent.

"We combine satellite communication technology with terrestrial wireless digital TV technology. This allows us to construct a digital pay TV operation platform with wide coverage, enabling locals to watch colorful programs at a lower price," Pang said.

"Seven to eight years ago, getting digital TV in Africa meant paying $200 as initial installation fee, another $50 as installation and commissioning fee and a monthly license fee that was at least $47," said Wu Juan, who works in StarTimes’ publicity department.

However, to access StarTimes, they need to pay only $5 initially for the decoder, the equipment that allows them to receive the TV signals, and $3-5 monthly as license fee. The small investment allows subscribers to watch a wide range of TV programs.

At the 2016 Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry Awards on May 14, StarTimes was awarded the fastest growing and most influential digital pay TV operator in Nigeria.

A slice of Chinese life

Zhuo Dong, who has been running a small food and beverage business in Nigeria for eight years, used to miss Chinese TV programs at first, especially the soaps and reality shows. Then the 46-year-old came to know about StarTimes and signed up as a subscriber.

"There are more than 1 million Chinese in Africa but for a long time, there was no good TV channel for us to get domestic information or entertainment. Language and cultural difference prevented us from getting involved in local leisure activities," Zhuo told ChinAfrica.

"The landing of StarTimes in Nigeria is definitely a savior. Switching on the TV after work, I can watch popular Chinese soaps and reality shows. It makes me feel I am back in China," Zhuo said.

StarTimes has introduced more than 440 international channels in Africa as well as Chinese mainstream media channels and channels owned and operated by the company itself that broadcast programs in nearly 10 languages used on the continent.

These range from English, French and Chinese to Swahili and Hausa. The contents include news, public information, sports, films and soaps.

Window to China

StarTimes programs are not only a link between China and the Chinese living in Africa but also a window for Africans to know China.

In 2011, StarTimes established its translation and dubbing center in Kenya where Chinese TV dramas are dubbed into African languages. Dubbed dramas like Struggle, portraying the post-1980s generations, Who Is in Charge of My Youth, which records the conflict between controlling parents and rebellious children, and Journey to the West, adapted from a 16th-century classic, are a big hit among African audiences.

"The dramas made by StarTimes are a window for Africans to know China," said Guo Ziqi, Vice President of StarTimes. "By watching them, Africans learn about Chinese lives and get a true glimpse of China."

At the Sixth African Digital TV Development Seminar, Jiang Jianguo, Minister of the Information Office of the State Council, said the rapid and comprehensive development of China-Africa bilateral relations in recent years is partly due to the efforts made by both Chinese and African media.

"By cooperating with African media, StarTimes improves the quality of TV signals, reduces the installation and monthly fees ... and makes digital TV affordable for ordinary African families," Jiang said.

During the seminar, Pang announced that StarTimes will head to Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Ghana this year.

"We will boost digital TV in more African countries in the future and enhance cultural life," he said.