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Multi-Sport
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s confirmation that it will create a rights-acquisition and content platform under its Saudi Sports Company division had long been expected. What took some industry observers by surprise was the country’s apparent scaling back of its ambitions and the ostensibly softer tone used when outlining its acquisitions strategy.
Basketball
Israel

Israeli pay-television broadcaster The Sports Channel’s latest renewal with the National Basketball Association saw it double its expenditure on a property with which it has become synonymous.
Multi-Sport
MENA

Sports rights-holders are increasingly gloomy about their prospects of maintaining rights-fee values in the Middle East and North Africa after recent developments in the rancorous three-year dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Gymnastics
Europe

The International Gymnastic Federation’s (FIG) rekindling of its relationship with the European Broadcasting Union after a 20-year break was given impetus by the federation’s recent difficulties with exposure.
Motorsport
MENA

BeIN Sports’ acquisition of IndyCar rights across the Middle East and North Africa is for just one year, a move designed to see if the property’s fanbase in the region remains after a year without a broadcast deal.

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Horse Racing
Global

Racecourse Media Group, the horse racing media and data rights holding company, has more than doubled the global exposure for the second running of the Bahrain International Trophy, the showpiece international…
Football
MENA

The English Premier League has added to its international broadcast rights sales team with the appointments of media sales heads in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and the Americas, SportBusiness…
Football
MENA

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) is lining up an appeal against last month’s Federal Criminal Court (TPF) ruling concerning beIN Media Group chairman and Paris Saint-Germain president N…
Multi-Sport
Africa

James Elliott, formerly an executive at mixed martial arts’ Ultimate Fighting Championship and rights agencies including Pitch International and Kentaro, has been recruited by Evolution Media Capital, t…

Features

Cricket
India

Indian pay-television broadcaster Star is poised to strengthen its grip on cricket broadcasting in the subcontinent by beating incumbent Sony to the rights for Cricket South Africa content.
Africa

In the latest interactive monthly data report, SportBusiness Media analyses the media-rights landscape in the Middle East and Africa.
Football
Global

At stake is the future funding of elite sport through the sale of media rights.
Basketball
Israel

The value of the Israeli Basketball Premier League’s domestic rights has stalled, with incumbent pay-television broadcaster Sports Channel renewing rights from 2019-20 amid little competition.
Multi-Sport
MENA

A consortium of major rights-holders is about to launch legal action in the Saudi courts against the beoutQ pirate broadcast operation, which the rights-holders believe is backed by the Saudi government., SportBusiness Media understands.
Formula One
MENA

Dubai-based free-to-air broadcaster MBC’s acquisition of Formula One in the Middle East and North Africa could trigger a shake-up in the regional rights market, which could lead to MBC’s backer, Saudi Arabia, becoming a legitimate player.
Multi-Sport
Middle East

BeIN Media Group’s public statement on February 8 that it had dropped Formula One because of the rights-holder’s inaction over the threat posed by the Saudi beoutQ pirate service has caused widespread concern among rights-holders. But it may not be enough to push them into legal action against beoutQ.
Multi-Sport
North Africa

OSN’s decision to close most of its sports channels will leave a vacuum in the Middle East and North Africa for rights-holders that is unlikely to be filled for some time, experts have told SportBusiness M…
MENA

Interview with Dan Markham and Cameron Andrews, respectively executive director of sports content and anti-piracy counsel for beIN Media Group, about the ongoing piracy of beIN by the beoutQ service
Football
Israel

Uefa is close to completing deals for its national-team media rights in Israel, as negotiations with both public-service broadcaster Kan and pay-television broadcaster Charlton prove challenging
Cricket
MENA

Indian pay-television broadcaster Star India this month became the latest beneficiary of beIN Sports’ move to acquire cricket content in the Middle East and North Africa.

Football
Israel

Kan, the Israeli public-service broadcaster, has tendered rights to 17 Fifa World Cup matches in order to recoup some of its financial outlay on the tournament.

Football
Asia

The Asian Football Confederation’s media and marketing rights tenders – sent out earlier this month – do not cover the Middle East and North Africa, TV Sports Markets has learned.

Tennis
MENA

Tennis Australia has increased the value of Australian Open rights in the Middle East and North Africa by about 40 per cent following a renewal with beIN Sports.

Cricket
MENA

The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) roughly doubled the value of its media rights in the Middle East and North Africa last month after carving them out from a future Asian deal.

Cricket
MENA

BeIN Media Group agreed its first deal for cricket rights last week, marking a notable change in strategy and a clear statement of intent it will go after content traditionally held by its Middle-Eastern rival OSN.

Football
MENA

Uefa has almost trebled the value of its Champions League and Europa League media rights in the Middle East and North Africa, following a renewal with Qatar-based beIN Media Group.

Football
Israel

Uefa has earned an increase of about 40 per cent in the value of its Europa League rights in Israel following a renewal with Charlton.

MENA

OSN’s acquisitions of rights to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, MotoGP and the Superbike World Championship represent a more aggressive strategy from the pay-television operator, but doesn’t herald the beginning of fierce competition for top-tier rights with beIN Media Group.