Viewers on DStv and GOtv can look forward to even greater sporting variety, with some thrilling action coming their way on ESPN and ESPN 2 from Friday 1 to Thursday 7 October 2021.
DStv and GOtv is your home of the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.
ESPN
All times CAT
The first live action on ESPN arrives on the evening of Friday 1 October, with Stoke City hosting West Bromwich Albion in an English Football League (EFL) Championship clash (20:40 LIVE on ESPN), while the action from that division continues on Saturday afternoon with back-to-back matches, as Coventry City host Fulham (13:25 LIVE on ESPN) and Reading visit Cardiff City (15:55 LIVE on ESPN).
Stoke City manager Michael O’Neill believes his team are approaching a position where they will be able to challenge for promotion back to the Premier League, though their opponents West Brom will be a tough nut to crack.
“It’s all about putting the right group together as well. I can see how some people think that if you come into this league and invest heavily then you should expect automatic returns,” said O’Neill.
“But I think the fact the club was out of the Championship for quite a long time made it more difficult to adapt. The clubs who go up and down more regularly – like West Brom and Norwich – are better equipped to deal with it.”
The football focus then switches to Major League Soccer (MLS), with matches on Saturday night and the early morning of Sunday 3 October (21:50 and 01:30 respectively LIVE on ESPN), before the Eredivisie takes centre stage with Ajax hosting Utrecht (14:20 LIVE on ESPN) and Sparta Rotterdam visiting PSV (19:50 LIVE on ESPN).
ESPN 2
All times CAT
The first live action on ESPN 2 arrives on the morning of Friday 1 October, with a National Football League (NFL) battle between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars (02:20 LIVE on ESPN 2).
Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins recently revealed that he will change his jersey number from 85 to 5 at the end of the current season, because he no longer wants to be compared to Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson, who used to carry the 85 number on his back.
“I keep seeing on Twitter, ‘Ochocinco 2.0,'” Higgins said. “I don’t want to be a 2.0. No disrespect to Chad. He’s a great receiver, this and that. I just don’t want to be a 2.0 for myself, man. I want to be Tee Higgins, 1.0, No. 5.”
Saturday 2 October features a Turkish Super Lig match in which Kayserispor host Trabzonspor (12:55 LIVE on ESPN 2), before ESPN College GameDay brings extended coverage of the NCAA College Football action from the United States (15:00 onwards LIVE on ESPN 2).
Sunday 3 October sees two enticing football matches, with Aberdeen facing Celtic in the Scottish Premiership (12:55 LIVE on ESPN 2), before an Eredivisie battle between Vitesse and Feyenoord (16:35 LIVE on ESPN 2).
The NFL returns with live action on Sunday evening and the feature presentation arrives on the morning of Monday 4 October with the New England Patriots taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (02:20 LIVE on ESPN 2), while the morning of Tuesday 5 October has the Los Angeles Chargers taking on the Las Vegas Raiders (02:15 LIVE on ESPN 2).
The Patriots v Buccaneers game sees the legendary Tom Brady take on his former team, with current Tampa Bay teammate Chris Godwin backing the veteran to have a big game against New England.
“I think any time you have a guy like Tom leading us, I think you’re in a good spot,” said Godwin. “All the skill players around him trust him and trust is one of the biggest things you can have in this game.”
Visit www.dstv.com and www.gotvafrica.com to subscribe or upgrade, and join in on the excitement. And while you’re on the move, you can stream the action on the DStv App.
ESPN selected broadcast highlights
All times CAT
Friday 1 October
20:40: EFL Championship, Stoke City v West Bromwich Albion – LIVE on ESPN
Saturday 2 October
13:25: EFL Championship, Coventry City v Fulham – LIVE on ESPN
15:55: EFL Championship, Cardiff City v Reading – LIVE on ESPN
21:50: MLS, Fixture TBC – LIVE on ESPN
Sunday 3 October
01:30: MLS, Fixture TBC – LIVE on ESPN
14:20: Eredivisie, Ajax v Utrecht – LIVE on ESPN
19:50: Eredivisie, PSV v Sparta Rotterdam – LIVE on ESPN
ESPN 2 selected broadcast highlights
All times CAT
Friday 1 October
02:20: NFL, Cincinnati Bengals v Jacksonville Jaguars – LIVE on ESPN 2
Saturday 2 October
12:55: Turkish Super Lig, Kayserispor v Trabzonspor – LIVE on ESPN 2
15:00: ESPN College GameDay – LIVE on ESPN 2
Sunday 3 October
12:55: Scottish Premiership, Aberdeen v Celtic – LIVE on ESPN 2
16:35: Eredivisie, Vitesse v Feyenoord – LIVE on ESPN 2
Monday 4 October
02:20: NFL, New England Patriots v Tampa Bay Buccaneers – LIVE on ESPN 2
Tuesday 5 October
02:15: NFL, Los Angeles Chargers v Las Vegas Raiders – LIVE on ESPN 2
