BBC Three will return as a broadcast channel on February 1, it has been announced.

The channel will broadcast from 7pm every night and will be available on Freeview, Sky, Virgin and Freesat. It can also be watched on the BBC Three channel page on iPlayer.

The channel will host the semi-finals and the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) live on free-to-air TV in its launch week, with coverage fronted by football pundit Jermaine Jenas.

BBC Three controller Fiona Campbell said: “We know how popular sport is with younger audiences and it’s going to have a big part to play on BBC Three.

“Afcon is set to be an incredibly exciting tournament with some of the best players in the world on show and it’s brilliant news that we will be showing the climax of the competition on free-to-air television.”