Sport Business - BeIN Media Group lands exclusive Olympic rights in MENA region
Jul 27, 2015
Pay-television broadcaster beIN Media Group has acquired exclusive rights in the Middle East and North Africa region for the four editions of the Olympic Games from 2018 to 2024.
Under the agreement with the International Olympic Committee, beIN has been awarded the rights to the 2018 winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang and the 2020 summer Games in Tokyo, along with the 2022 and 2024 events, the hosts of which are yet to be decided.
BeIN has acquired the rights across all broadcast platforms, including free-to-air television, pay-television, internet and mobile devices in all languages. The agreement also includes the right to broadcast all editions of the Youth Olympic Games until 2024.
BeIN Media Group chief executive Nasser Al-Khelaifi said: “Although we have had the privilege to broadcast the Olympic Games for many years in MENA, our direct acquisition of the Olympic Games from the IOC fulfils our ambition of bringing all premium sports to our viewers in the region. We look forward to further growing our relationship with the IOC.”
IOC president Thomas Bach added: “With its excellent track record in broadcasting, we believe that (beIN) will provide fantastic coverage across the region of each edition of the Olympic Games, including free-to-air television coverage. BeIN Sports has also committed to providing unprecedented promotion of Olympic sports all year round, including significant support for the Olympic Channel in the future.”
