Middle East

Middle Eastern broadcaster MBC Group has agreed a 10-year rights deal for the Saudi Professional League, the top division of football in Saudi Arabia.

OSN has acquired the exclusive pay-television broadcast rights in the Middle East and North Africa region to events organised by the WWE wrestling organisation.

The IMG Media agency has promoted Adam Kelly to head of sales for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

Lebanon's Court of Urgent Matters has said that it has no jurisdiction to consider a lawsuit filed by pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports against state broadcaster Tele Liban over coverage of football’s Fifa World Cup.

The Lebanese government has brokered a deal with cable-television provider Sama to show coverage of football’s 2014 Fifa World Cup in the country for free.

The MP & Silva agency has extended a worldwide rights distribution deal with the Kuwait Football Association.

Lebanese state broadcaster Tele Liban is close to agreeing a deal for rights to the 2014 Fifa World Cup national team football tournament, according to the Daily Star newspaper.

World football’s governing body Fifa has denied reports that German public-service broadcaster ZDF’s coverage of the 2014 World Cup will be available to viewers in the Middle East and Northern Africa.

The Al Jazeera America division of Qatari pay-television broadcaster Al Jazeera has disbanded its sports unit.

Uefa secures small increase in Israel

Uefa, football’s European governing body, has launched a sales process for the rights in Israel to European national team qualifiers ahead of the Euro 2016 and Fifa 2018 World Cup national team tournaments.

The MP & Silva agency has agreed a deal to distribute media rights for the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 cricket tournament in several territories, including the Indian subcontinent.

Pay-television broadcaster beIN Sports has acquired the exclusive rights to the Formula One motor racing championship in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Pay-television broadcaster OSN has acquired rights in the Middle East and North Africa for the Bellator mixed martial arts series and the Asia Cup international cricket tournament, which begins today (Tuesday).

Pay-television broadcaster OSN, which operates in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), has acquired rights for the 2014 winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

The Abu Dhabi Media Company pay-television and free-to-air broadcaster has acquired rights in the Middle East and North Africa for the Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial arts series.