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beIN Sports retains rights for Champions League in Middle East and Africa

beIN Media Group has retained the exclusive rights to stream Europe’s premier club competition UEFA Champions League and Europa League tournaments across the Middle East and North Africa till the 2024 season. Qatar-based beIN Sports has renewed a contract that will allow them to telecast the games live games across the MENA (Middle-east and Africa) region for the next three years.

beIN Sports paid more than $500 million for the rights. They were in a battle with a Saudi Arab owned sports broadcasting company but the price was too much for them to go ahead. The amount paid is roughly 25% less than it spent to secure these rights from the governing body for European soccer in the last cycle.

The deal with beIN Sports is still one of UEFA’s largest contracts. UEFA generated revenue of €3 billion  ($3.7 billion) in the 2019/2020 season, with more than 85% coming from media rights. The package also includes the rights to broadcast the Europa League, the new Europa Conference League, and, for the first time, the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

beIN Sports has recently retained exclusive rights to the U.K.’s Premier League. Meanwhile, it dropped packages for Italy’s Serie A and the German Bundesliga, citing piracy issues. beIN Sports is also the official broadcaster of La Liga in France they recently extended their deal till 2024.

They are also in talks with LFP regarding the rights of Ligue 1. They are reportedly reconsidering their position but under certain conditions. beIN Sports is seeking a discount on the Ligue 2 rights with potentially offering a package that could save French football after the TV deal collapsed last season. LFP wants around €32m annually for the dissemination of two Ligue 2 matches until 2024 but beIN Sports reportedly would like to reduce this amount to €20m. In exchange, the channel would ensure the broadcast of the other eight matches not currently broadcasted.

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