Monte Carlo – Discover Sport™ has announced a groundbreaking partnership with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), marking the first time in history that African fans will have direct access to live and on-demand global badminton coverage, for free.
This landmark partnership sees the recently launched sport-tech social media platform, Discover Sport™, become the official streaming partner for BWF content across Africa, delivering premier tournaments and magazine shows to the continent’s sports community.
African audiences will enjoy world-class badminton broadcasts including: BWF World Championships, BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals, BWF Sudirman Cup Finals, HSBC BWF World Tour Finals, and the full HSBC BWF World Tour circuit (Super 1000, 750, 500, and 300 events). The partnership also brings Badminton Unlimited and Badminton Weekly, the sport’s flagship magazine and highlights show, to Discover Sport™ – connecting African fans with the world’s fastest racket sport year-round.
“This partnership with Discover Sport™ is a bold step toward true global inclusion,” says BWF Secretary General, Thomas Lund. “Our vision has always been to make badminton accessible everywhere. Africa has long been a passionate but underserved market, and this partnership finally changes that. Together, we’re giving millions of new fans the opportunity to experience world-class badminton in real time.”
Often ranked as the second most-played sport in the world, with more than 300 million players spanning Asia, Europe and beyond, badminton enjoys immense popularity in countries like China, Indonesia, Spain, and Denmark. Yet until now, African fans had limited access to its premier competitions.
Discover Sport’s™ Glocal (global + local) model closes that gap, bridging international broadcast rights with grassroots activation. The result: global content delivered locally thereby inspiring communities and expanding the sport’s reach across the continent.
“This partnership reinforces our core mission: access, visibility and opportunity,” says Stephen Watson, Founder of Discover Sport™. “We’re proud to unlock a market that global federations have traditionally struggled to reach. From world-class tournaments to grassroots stories, every connection made on Discover Sport™ strengthens the fabric of sport,” says Watson.
The announcement also celebrates Discover Sport’s™ ongoing collaboration with top seed Badminton sports star, Johanita Scholtz: two-time South African National Champion, African Champion, Paris 2024 Olympian, and proud Discover Sport™ Ambassador.
This weekend, Scholtz competed at the South African National Championships in Bloemfontein, streamed live on Discover Sport™ – bringing both national and international badminton under one digital roof for the first time. Scholtz claimed two wins: first for the Women’s Singles Title against Elme de Villiers, followed by a second crowning glory with Amy Ackerman in the Womens’ Doubles Title against Anri Schoonees & Elme de Villiers.
“Badminton has given me everything; opportunity, community, and joy,” says Scholtz. “For young players in South Africa watching at home, this could be where their own journeys begin,” says Scholtz. Now, die-hard fans of the game can track Scholtz’ games live on the platform, as well as find Scholtz’ full player profile at www.discoversport.com.
A signal to the world
As Discover Sport™ prepares to showcase live global badminton across Africa, the message to other international federations is clear: the door is open.
“Badminton is just the beginning,” says Watson. “We invite every federation that wants to reach new audiences to partner with us. Together, we can make sport truly global, and truly inclusive,” says Watson.
The BWF partnership is part of Discover Sport’s™ expanding roster of global collaborations across tennis, equestrian, boxing, and hockey. As a purpose-driven sport-tech platform, it empowers federations to broadcast, athletes to share and fans to participate through one integrated social space.
All BWF content, including Badminton Unlimited and Badminton Weekly and live tournament streams, is now available free to view on Discover Sport™.
Register today on www.discoversport.com.
For more information on federation partnerships contact [email protected].
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