September 26 – Although the victim of aggressive piracy of live sports rights in Saudi Arabia, beIN Sports has not slowed its commitment to football with the announcement of a new four-season deal through to the end of the 2021/22 season with the English Football League’s (EFL) three divisions and Cup competition.
The exclusive deal is an expansion of beIN’s existing rights ownership and now covers 24 countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), as well as Turkey, Australia, New Zealand and France. No value was given for the agreement.
Shaun Harvey, chief executive of the EFL, said: “The extension to our previous relationship which includes new territories, is a very positive development for the EFL and our clubs…The EFL is developing an increasingly international audience, with Clubs recognised and followed in countries all around the world. As our most prominent overseas partner, beIN MEDIA GROUP is central to increasing our competitions’ exposure.”
The EFL rights will be spread across both broadcast channels and beIN’s OTT services.
Yousef Al-Obaidly, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of beIN MEDIA GROUP, said: “The EFL continues to grow as a global spectacle and the level of fierce competition on offer – broadcast on our state-of-the-art channels and OTT platform and supported by our world class pundits – makes for an exceptional viewing experience. With this agreement complementing our recently announced exclusive rights deal with the Premier League, beIN SPORTS remains the undisputed home of English football for fans in the Middle East and North Africa.”
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