July 24 – The Saudi Arabian-led boycott of Qatari-owned beIn Sport as part of the diplomatic dispute in the region has not prevented the channel being awarded Middle Eastern and North African broadcasting rights for the Champions League and Europa League.
For the 2017/18 season, every match will be broadcast live and exclusive across beIN SPORTS’ 20 sports channels, available in Arabic, English, Spanish and French.
“This acquisition reaffirms beIN SPORTS position as the undisputed market leader and provides our subscribers with continued access to the UEFA Champions League – one of the most illustrious leagues in world football,” said a statement by beIN, a subsidiary of beIN MEDIA GROUP,.
The agreement marks a significant coup for the station and puts pressure on the Saudis and other neighbours of Qatar not to go ahead with the blocking of the channels broadcast in the region, and deprive fans in the region of watching the biggest European games.
Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA marketing director, said: “UEFA are pleased to confirm that beIN SPORTS has extended its broadcasting partnership with the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League in the Middle East and North Africa region for the 2018/19 to 2020/21 seasons.
“beIN SPORTS delivers extensive coverage for the competitions to all football fans in the region with broadcast innovation and programming at the very highest production standards.
“beIN SPORTS continues to be a great global partner of UEFA, with agreements in over 30 countries around the world, and we look forward to working closely with beIN SPORTS for another cycle of UEFA competitions.”
Commenting on the award, Nasser Al Khelaifi, chairman and CEO of beIN, said: “The upcoming football season promises to be the best yet for beIN SPORTS subscribers with English Premier League, LaLiga, Series A, CAF Champions League and UEFA Champions League, culminating in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.”
Interestingly, the channels were reported to have been reinstated at the weekend after being blocked for several weeks amid the political and diplomatic rift.
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