MLB rights retained by beIN in France and Mena region

Pay-television broadcaster beIN Media Group has retained rights to Major League Baseball in France and across 24 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

The deal, which was announced this afternoon, includes rights to the curtailed 2020 season and the whole 2021 campaign.

The shortened 2020 MLB season began yesterday (Thursday) and will conclude on September 27.

As part of the new agreement, the beIN Sports channels will show at least two regular-season matches per week, along with the MLB All Star Game, the playoffs and the World Series.

BeIN Sports France also holds rights to American football’s NFL and basketball’s NBA but does not hold a ‘clean sweep’ of the major leagues with pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus showing ice hockey’s NHL.

The MLB was first broadcast in France by the beIN when it aired the 2014 World Series. The broadcaster launched in France in the summer of 2012.