Discover Digital, the prominent provider of horseracing television services in South Africa, has issued a response to a recent article by City Press, dated February 10, 2024, regarding their contractual arrangement with the SABC for the provision of services for SABCPlus.

Discover Digital are the operators of 4Racing TV and Racing 240 as well as Racing Today. All channels have at some stage come in for criticism for the lack of knowledge on the sport and recently underwent major presenter changes. Two of their leading presenters have left for the Cape Racing outfit. 

Following reports of the suspension of SABC's COO Ian Plaatjes and head of video entertainment Merlin Naicker, along with the resignation of Peginald Nxumalo, the public broadcaster's ad sales boss, Discover Digital Managing Director Stephen Watson expressed disappointment in City Press for not seeking comment prior to publishing the article.

Watson clarified that all contracts with Discover Digital, including the one with SABC, include an advertising revenue share clause to cover technology, resource, and delivery costs, which was already in place during the contract awarding stage to TelkomOne.

Regarding the SABCPlus service launch, Plaatjes alerted Discover Digital to the omission of certain costs in their business plan submission. Discover Digital refrained from billing SABC for the agreed revenue share until the corrected plan was resubmitted and internally approved by SABC.

Despite the one-year term of the agreement ending in November 2023 without the approval of the revenue share clause due to the absence of a Board of Directors at SABC, Discover Digital did not receive any funds pursuant to the revenue share clause.

Discover Digital expressed willingness to cooperate with any SABC investigation into the matter but has not received any inquiry or request for comment or supporting documentation as of yet.