SportyTV is owned by Sporty Group, a privately held sports media and technology company founded in 2013.
It operates a range of sports entertainment platforms. One good example is SportyBet, Africa’s leading sports betting platform.
History of SportyTV ownership
Sporty Group was founded in 2013 by CEO Sudeep Ramnani. Initially focused on sports betting in Africa, the company later expanded into the media sector.
In October 2022, the corporation launched SportyTV in Nigeria. It debuted as a free-to-air sports channel. Shortly, it secured rights to English Premier League, Serie A, and Bundesliga matches for the country.
The channel expanded into Ghana shortly after its launch in Nigeria. In mid-2023, it partnered with SES HD+ Ghana. This brought over 500 hours of live football from the EPL, Serie A, Bundesliga, and other leagues in high definition to Ghanaian viewers.
In 2024, SportyTV broadened its content rights. First, it secured free-to-air rights for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in Nigeria and Ghana via Infront. It also extended long-term contracts for European football, such as La Liga.
In the subsequent year, the TV arrived in Kenya and South Africa on a free-to-air basis. It obtained exclusive rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya.
Throughout this stretch, SportyTV has stayed 100% owned by its parent firm, Sporty Group. There have been no public buyouts or ownership transfers.
Who owns SportyTV in 2025
The Sporty Group is the sole owner of SportyTV. This group is privately held and led by its founder and CEO, Sudeep Ramnani.
No other media or content entities co-own SportyTV. It is a wholly owned division of the Sporty Group.
Shareholders of the owning company
As mentioned before, Sporty Group is privately held. As such, it does not have to publicly disclose its shareholders or ownership structure.
The main publicly known figures are founder and CEO Sudeep Ramnani and his executive team. Specific equity shares are undisclosed.
How does SportyTV operate
Distribution details for this sports giant include the following:
- Nigeria: It is available on StarTimes DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) channel no. 258. It is also on StarTimes DTH (Direct-To-Home satellite) channel 190. Nigerians also stream SportyTV content on the StarTimes ON app, via Sporty.com, and on YouTube.
- Ghana: SportyTV is on Ghanaian TV via multiple carriers. It airs on StarTimes DTT (channel 36) and StarTimes DTH (channel 190), as well as on MultiTV. Since late 2023, SportyTV has been available in full HD through the SES HD+ platform (HD+ Ghana channel 152). SportyTV content in Ghana is also available via Sporty’s online services.
- Other African markets: The channel is available in Kenya as a free-to-air channel through Signet and Pang. SportyTV is live on South Africa’s Openview (free satellite) channel 125. All these services are offered at no charge. The channel also has online streams to ensure access beyond traditional TV.
- Subscription/pricing: SportyTV itself is free-to-air in all markets – viewers do not pay per-view or subscription fees. In Ghana, viewers of HD+ do pay the HD+ platform subscription, but that is for the satellite service, not a SportyTV fee. SportyTV’s business model is mainly from by advertising and its synergy with SportyBet.
List of countries where SportyTV is available
SportyTV is available across sub-Saharan Africa, either directly or via sublicensing. Apart from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa, other African countries reached via SportyTV’s rights sublicenses are as follows:
- Angola
- Botswana
- Somalia
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Gambia
- Guinea-Bissau
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Sierra Leone
- Tanzania
- Cape Verde
- Equatorial Guinea
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
SportyTV Group’s broader portfolio
Beyond SportyTV, Sporty Group runs several major sports and gaming brands. These include:
- SportyBet: A major African sports-betting operator licensed in Nigeria. SportyBet holds high-profile partnerships with Real Madrid and Manchester City.
- Sporty.com: A comprehensive sports news and streaming app with news, live scores, video, and betting odds. It aggregates content from SportyTV and elsewhere.
- Sporty Studios: The in-house content studio for Sporty Group for producing video podcasts, documentaries, TV commercials, and creative content.
- SportyFM: 24/7 sports radio networks. SportyFM Ghana, launched Jan 2025, is Ghana’s first all-sports radio. SportyFM Kenya, also launched in June 2025, is Kenya’s first 24/7 English sports radio. These radio stations share content and personalities with SportyTV.
- Nosso Futebol (Brazil): Acquired in 2024, this is a Brazilian football TV channel with 400+ live matches a year. It joined Sporty’s portfolio to take the group into the Latin American market.