beIN Sports bags Mena media rights for Premier League matches

DOHA: On the eve of the start of the 2018/19 Premier League season, the Premier League and beIN Sports have announced a multi-year media rights deal whereby beIN Sports will broadcast exclusively all Premier League football matches in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) for the three seasons 2019/20 – 2021/22.

beIN Sports is the incumbent exclusive broadcaster of the Premier League in Mena, however the new deal – signed in London yesterday by Richard Scudamore, Executive Chairman of the Premier League, and Nasser Al Khelaifi, Chairman and CEO of beIN Media Group – will mean that beIN Sports is the exclusive home of Premier League football in Mena for the next four seasons, said a statement issued yesterday.

Premier League fans in Mena will be able to watch all 380 games per season exclusively live on beIN, in addition to having access to comprehensive magazine programming, including pre- and post-match shows, as well as daily highlights and weekly wrap-up programmes.

Further, through beIN’s market-leading OTT service, beIN Connect, subscribers will be able to watch all Premier League content, including the live streaming of matches, across web, tablet and mobile devices.

beIN Sports is the flagship sports channel of beIN Mdeia Group, which has rapidly become one of the leading sports and entertainment groups in the world with an unparalleled roster of global sports and entertainment rights and content (including Miramax studios), but also through its state-of-the-art production and distribution facilities and its world-leading pundits, analysts and talent.

The Premier League rights are the most coveted sports rights in the MENA region and they remain part of beIN’s outstanding roster of European football league content, which includes broadcast rights to LaLiga, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A.

In addition, beIN also holds rights to all major international club and country competitions – including, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, all major CAF, AFC and CONCACAF competitions, together with the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championships – making beIN the undisputed home of football across all 23 countries in MENA and also one of the foremost sports broadcasters in the world.

While beIN SPORTS has long been the trusted partner of the Premier League in MENA, this new deal is a clear long-term endorsement by the Premier League of beIN’s custodianship of its brand in the region, which has resulted in an insatiable demand for top tier English football in MENA over recent years.

It is widely expected that consumer demand to watch the world’s best football talent competing in the Premier League, which includes some of the best players of countries in MENA, will only continue to grow further as the next FIFA World Cup – the first ever to be held in the region in Qatar 2022 – draws closer.

Richard Scudamore, Executive Chairman of the Premier League, said “We know there are many passionate fans of Premier League clubs right across the Middle East and North Africa, and that beIN SPORTS does an excellent job making the competition available to them. beIN is a long-term partner of the League and its first-rate coverage has helped to grow interest in our clubs across many countries.”

Nasser Al Khelaifi, Chairman and CEO of beIN MEDIA GROUP, said “We are honoured that the Premier League has trusted beIN MEDIA GROUP and beIN SPORTS again to be the official and exclusive broadcaster, champion and custodian of its product in the Middle East and North Africa. Nothing brings people together and excites passions and emotions like sport; particularly football.”

“The Premier League is one of the most exhilarating of all leagues in world football, attracting the best talent on and off the pitch and providing the most captivating entertainment. We are delighted to be able to exclusively offer this premium sports content to our subscribers, bringing them closer to the Premier League for many more years to come, together with our unparalleled library of movies, drama, entertainment, comedy and children’s programming,” Al Khelaifi added.