Sports broadcasting bigwig Jeroen Oerlemans has been confirmed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Kwese Sports, a new TV channel by Econet Media broadcasting sports news across Africa.
In a statement sent to Face2Face Africa, Econet said Oerlemans’s appointment is a clear indication of the strength and potential of Kwese Sports to transform the sports broadcasting industry in Africa.
“As Chief Executive Officer of Kwese Sports, Orlemans will be responsible for leading our sports business and operations including developing our in-house production capability. He will also play a critical role in establishing Kwese Sports as a source of leading sporting content and supporting local African leagues across various sporting codes,” Econet Media CEO Joseph Hundah says.
Oerlemans’s appointment comes at a time when the media group has just concluded several important rights deals, including significant Pan-African agreements such as the recently announced partnership with ESPN – a global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming.
With Kwese Sports, the media company hopes to establish itself as a serious contender within Africa’s sports media sector.
“Jeroen joins us at a crucial time as we enter the next phase of the Kwese journey. His experience across the sports programming and content production value chain globally makes him the ideal person to lead our Kwese Sports division as we continue to expand our business across the African continent,” Hundah adds.
He further reveals that Oerlemans’s in-depth understanding of rights acquisitions and his proven track record of successfully running multi-territory channels make him the ideal person to head the department.
Impressive Portfolio
Prior to his latest appointment, Oerlemans has been working at his consultancy firm, SMC, which focuses on programming, production rights sales and acquisitions for sports on all media and platforms.
His other career highlights include launching SPORT1 in the Netherlands while working as a General Manager at Chellomedia B.V., the European content division of Liberty Global – international company and distributor of channels, content and video services.
He was also instrumental in launching the ESPN UK channel during his tenure as Vice-president and channel manager EMEA at ESPN.
“Developing and delivering the world’s best sporting content to new audiences is the reason why I do what I do and Kwese presented me with the opportunity to do that within the fast-changing media landscape in Africa,” Oerlemans says.
Oerlemans also brings 10 years of experience in the public broadcasting sector. He spent a decade at Nederlandse Omroep Stitching (Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation), which forms part of the Netherlands public broadcasting system.
