Discover Sport has announced a groundbreaking partnership with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), marking the first time African fans will have direct access to live and on-demand global badminton coverage for free.
The recently launched sport-tech social media platform will serve as the official streaming partner for BWF content across Africa, bringing premier tournaments and magazine shows to the continent’s sports community.
African audiences can now enjoy world-class badminton broadcasts, including the 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, including Super 1000, 750, 500, and 300 events.
The partnership also brings flagship shows Badminton Unlimited and Badminton Weekly to the platform, connecting African fans with the world’s fastest racket sport year-round.
“This partnership 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.”
Badminton is often ranked as the second most-played sport globally, with more than 300 million players across Asia, Europe, and beyond. The sport enjoys immense popularity in countries like China, Indonesia, Spain, and Denmark, yet African fans previously had limited access to its premier competitions.
Discover Sport’s Glocal (global + local) model bridges international broadcast rights with grassroots activation. The result is global content delivered locally, inspiring communities and expanding badminton’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.”
The announcement also highlights the platform’s collaboration with top South African badminton star Johanita Scholtz, two-time national champion, African champion, Paris 2024 Olympian, and Discover Sport ambassador.
This weekend, Scholtz competed at the South African National Championships in Bloemfontein, streamed live on Discover Sport, bringing national and international badminton under one digital roof for the first time. Scholtz claimed two wins: the Women’s Singles Title against Elme de Villiers and the Women’s Doubles Title alongside Amy Ackerman against Anri Schoonees and 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.” Fans can now track Scholtz’ games live and access her full player profile at www.discoversport.com.
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 inclusive.”
The BWF partnership is part of Discover Sport’s expanding roster of collaborations across tennis, equestrian, boxing, and hockey. The platform empowers federations to broadcast, athletes to share, and fans to participate through one integrated social space.
All BWF content, including Badminton Unlimited, Badminton Weekly, and live tournament streams, is now available free to view. Register today at www.discoversport.com.
Watch this space for updates in the Streaming category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
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