MENA

Goal, the football news website operated by digital sports media company Perform, has agreed a deal to show video coverage of this year’s Arab Championship club football tournament.

Qatari broadcaster beIN Media Group has extended its rights deal in the Middle East and North Africa region with European football’s governing body Uefa for the Champions League and Europa League club competitions.

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.

European football’s governing body Uefa has launched tender processes for broadcast rights to its Champions League and Europa League club competitions in the Middle East and North Africa.

Social media platform Twitter has partnered with sports marketing company Sela Sport to stream live coverage of this year’s Arab Championship, an annual club football competition for teams from Arab nations.

Middle Eastern pay-television operator OSN has extended an agreement for rights to the Bellator mixed martial arts series.

Up to 11 new sports channels that will be based in Egypt and funded by Saudi Arabia are set to be launched in the coming weeks and months, according to Muflih Al-Hafatah, the chairman of the Saudi Media City complex.

Middle Eastern pay-television operator OSN has acquired rights to the International Motorcycling Federation’s (FIM) Endurance World Championship.

Qatar-based pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has come under further sanctions in the Middle East region following action taken in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The FIH, the global governing body of hockey, has agreed rights deals with a number of broadcasters in various regions around the world.

UAE pay-television providers Etisalat and du have stopped broadcasting beIN Sports channels after a number of Arab states cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the organising body of the 2022 Fifa World Cup national team football tournament in Qatar, has entered into a partnership with local sports channel operator Al Kass.

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.

BeIN Media Group has lost rights to the Diamond League in its home market of the Middle East and North Africa, and a share of the rights in the US.

Uefa was the beneficiary this month as Israel’s Sports Channel paid a fee increase of about 440 per cent to renew its Champions League rights.

The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) has extended its rights agreement with Israeli pay-television broadcaster The Sports Channel.