June 11 – BeIN Sports has scored a victory in the TV rights arena by seeing off a bid from a Saudi broadcaster to renew a three-year deal for UEFA’s prime club competitions across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Building on a relationship that began in 2009, the Qatari sports broadcaster and the European governing body have reinforced their ties with BeIN securing the exclusive live rights for the Champions League, the Europa League and European qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
PSG’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi chairs BeIN Sports Media group and played a significant role in the Super League debacle when his club rejected the notion of a closed-shop, breakaway competition that would usurp the Champions League. Al-Khelaifi became president of the European Club Association (ECA) when Juventus boss Agnelli quit in a bid to back the ESL.
The new agreement runs until 2024 and is reportedly worth a little under the $600 million beIN paid for the same package for the previous cycle, marking a significant deal for UEFA in a stagnating market.
The European governing body reportedly received a bigger financial offer from an undisclosed Saudi broadcaster, but turned that down, a sign that UEFA is not softening its position towards the Saudi kingdom over piracy issues. The authorities in Saudi Arabia failed to shutdown beoutQ, the pirate broadcaster that stole BeIN’s feed and subsequently endangered the entire model underpinning the football industry.
The World Trade Organisation also ruled that Saudi Arabia promoted and supported beoutQ and in doing so contravened international law protecting intellectual property.
“This is another major rights deal for UEFA securing significant funds for the European football pyramid,” said UEFA’s marketing director Guy-Laurent Epstein in a statement. “We are delighted to extend our trusted partnership with beIN MEDIA GROUP, whose sports network in MENA is second-to-none in its quality of programming and broadcasting innovation. We are also delighted for the UEFA Women’s Champions League to have such an important platform of exposure.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734935422labto1734935422ofdlr1734935422owedi1734935422sni@i1734935422tnuk.1734935422ardni1734935422mas1734935422