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| Country | Qatar |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United States Canada Australia and New Zealand France MENA Southeast Asia Turkey France Overseas |
| Headquarters | Doha,Qatar(MENA Channel) Miami,U.S.(American Channel) Paris,France(French Channel) Istanbul,Turkey(Turkish Channel) Sydney,Australia(Australia and New Zealand channels) |
| Programming | |
| Languages | Arabic English French Spanish Turkish |
| Picture format | 1080pMPEG-4HDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | beIN Media Group |
| Key people |
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| Sister channels |
|
| History | |
| Launched | 1 June 2012; 13 years ago (1 June 2012) |
| Links | |
| Website | beinsports.com |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| beIN Sports Connect | connect |
beIN Sports (/ˈbiːɪn/BEE-in) is a Qatari multinational network of sports channels owned and operated by the media groupbeIN. The network has played a major role in the increased commercialization of Qatari sports. Its chairman isNasser Al-Khelaifi, and its CEO isYousef Obaidly.[1]
beIN Sports is the dominant television sports channel in theMENA region. It also operates channels in France, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand.
Al Jazeera Media Network entered the European television rights market in June 2011 when it purchased a package of live French footballLigue 1 matches from 2012 to 2016 for€90 million a year. The deal makes them joint broadcasters of domestic top-flight football in France alongside long-term rights holdersCanal+.[2] The broadcaster also acquired thepay-TV rights to theUEFA Champions League,Europa League from 2012 to 2015,Euro 2012 andEuro 2016 in France.[3][4][5] France was targeted as Al Jazeera's first entry into Europe due to the fact that there were no dedicated sports channels, unlike in theUnited Kingdom.[6]
The name "beIN Sports" was first revealed in early 2012. According toNasser Al-Khelaifi, the director of Al Jazeera Sports, the name "symbolises the mind of two channels aiming at bringing live and exclusive broadcasting of the biggest events."[7] Former Canal+ executive Charles Bietry was hired by Al Jazeera to launch the channels.[8] The channels will be available on allcable andIPTV providers and select satellite providers.[9]CanalSat – owned byCanal+ Group – has declined to carry the channels as of March 2012.[10] beIN Sports was officially launched on June 1, 2012, in time to broadcast Euro 2012.[11] beIN Sports 2 commenced on July 27, 2012, in time to broadcast the FrenchLigue 2 season, and before the start of the2012–13 Ligue 1 season.[11] In June 2015, it was announced thatNasser Al-Khelaifi had plans to create the beIN Sports channel on TV operators to cable in Brazil.[12]
beIN Sports Spain officially began broadcasting on 1 July 2015, the date on whichGol Televisión ceased broadcasting all football games, which during the summer were in place under the slogan "Change the game", "Cambia el juego" in Spanish. Thanks to an alliance betweenAl Jazeera andMediapro, beIN Sports Spain offersUEFA Champions League (2015–2018),UEFA Europa League (2015–2018),UEFA Super Cup (2015–2017),Premier League (2015–16 season only),Serie A,Primeira Liga,Jupiler Pro League,Ligue 1,DFB Pokal,Coupe de la Ligue,KNVB Beker,Johan Cruijff Shield,Copa de Brasil,CONCACAF Gold Cup,Copa Libertadores andCopa Sudamericana. beIN Sports Spain can be viewed over the Internet, smart TV (LG andSamsung), PC, laptops, tablets, Smartphones (iOS/Android), PS3/PS4,Chromecast, TV Operators (Orange,Vodafone andTelecable) and online platforms (beIN Sports Connect, Total Channel andYouTube). On Wednesday August 19, due to the start of the playoffs of the UEFA Champions League,beIN Sports (Spain) begins to emit beIN Sports MAX (up to 8 simultaneous channels) to broadcast all matches of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.
beIN Sports (Spain) offers customersGol Televisión lost up to 30 June 2015 an exclusive promotion to watch beIN Sports through beIN Sports CONNECT, and through the app "TotalChannel". It also offers channels like FOX, AXN, TNT, and the best entertainment channels in HD for €5/month for two months, then from the third month onwards €9.99/month.beIN Sports (Spain) developed a channel licensed for bars inSpain called "beIN Sports BAR". The channel stopped transmission on 9 August 2018.
For the 2016–2017 season and onwards, beIN Sports Spain has the television rights toLa Liga (eight games a day, always one of Real Madrid or FC Barcelona) andCopa del Rey.
In 2015, beIN Sports expanded its global footprint by acquiring Digiturk, a Turkish-pay-TV platform, which added millions of subscribers to its audience. This move positioned the network as a leader in both European and Asian markets. By 2024, beIN Sports achieved a major milestone, attracting over 1.2 billion views for its coverage of the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, setting a new standard for sports broadcasting globally (beIN Sports, 2024). The network also embraced digital innovation, offering subscribers access to live and on-demand content through the beIN CONNECT platform, thus enhancing its accessibility and user engagement (Al-Obaidly, 2019).
On November 1, 2017, beIN Sports created anOlympic Channel in the Middle East and North Africa region.[13]
beIN Sports was firstly launched in Singapore throughStarhub TV Channel 213 on 19 April 2016. beIN Sports was briefly launched onSingtel TV Channel 109 from 6 August 2019 to 2 October 2021. The latter was then returned on 11 March 2022 due to the closure forFox Sports Asia. beIN Sports 1 though 3 for Singtel TV are now located on Channel 126, 127 and 128 respectively.
beIN Sports launched on MalaysiaAstro Channel 837 on 1 August 2016 before the channel was relocated to Channel 818 on 1 August 2019 and then to Channel 820 on 17 October 2024. The channel was also launched onUnifi TV on 1 May 2022.
beIN Sports MAX, which mostly airedUEFA Champions andEuropa League, launched on Singtel TV on Channel 110 on 19 October 2018. It also launched on Astro on Channel 841 on 4 December 2018 before it was relocate to Channel 819 on 1 August 2019. On 7 January 2022, beIN Sports Max was rebranded to beIN Sports 3 in Malaysia and Singapore.
In France, where beIN Sports was launched for the first time, it holds the rights to broadcast majorfootball tournaments, includingLigue 1,La Liga,Serie A,Bundesliga and theEuropean Football Championship. Along withCanal+, beIN Sports also holds the rights to broadcast all theChampions League matches from 2021 to 2024.[14]
In the United States and Canada, beIN Sports holds the rights to broadcastLa Liga,Ligue 1,CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers,Copa Libertadores andFootball League Championship matches andReal Madrid TV.[15] It launched two channels in the United States (English and Spanish), in August 2012, followed by a full channel in Canada, on 31 January 2014.
In Indonesia, beIN Sports holds the rights to broadcastLa Liga,Ligue 1,Serie A (2013–2016, return in 2018),Süper Lig (2017–18 until 2021–22),A-League (starts 2017–18 season),FFA Cup (starts 2017 season),CAF World Cup Qualifiers,Major League Soccer (MLS), and more. In Malaysia, beIN Sports offers comprehensive coverage of European Football Leagues including La Liga, Ligue 1 and more.
In Hong Kong, beIN Sports holds the rights to broadcastSerie A,Ligue 1,Major League Soccer (MLS),A-League (starts 2017–18 season),FFA Cup (starts 2017 season),UEFA Champions League,UEFA Europa League and more.
In Thailand, beIN Sports holds the rights to broadcastLa Liga,Serie A (2013–2016, return in 2018),Ligue 1,Bundesliga,MLS (until 2022),Süper Lig (2017–18 until 2021–22),A-League (starts 2017–18 season),FFA Cup (starts 2017 season),UEFA Champions League,UEFA Europa League and more.
In Australia, the channel was launched in late November 2014, following the acquisition of Setanta Sports Australia which was rebranded as beIN Sports.[16] beIN Sports Australia holds the rights to broadcastUEFA Champions League (2015–2018),[17]UEFA Europa League (2015–2018),EFL Cup,La Liga,Serie A,[18]Ligue 1,Bundesliga,MLS,Copa Libertadores andRBS Six Nations. On 14 March 2016, beIN Sports Australia expanded from one to three channels, all in HD, and as of 15 May 2016 has been made available to allFoxtel sport pack subscribers, rather than the original add-on cost for a single SD channel. Fetch subscribers still only have access to beIN Sports 1, which is an add-on cost each month.
beIN Connect, also known as beIN Sports Connect, is a subsidiaryover-the-top content (OTT) service started in 2014. It allows users to watch live and on-demand video content from a Mac, Windows PC, mobile phone, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 via a broadband or Wi-Fi internet connection. On-demand content comprises sports highlights, movies, and TV shows. beIN CONNECT is available as a paid service in France, Spain, United States, Canada, Turkey (in 2017),Asia-Pacific (in 2017) and theMENA region.[19]
From 2014 to 2017, beIN Sports held the rights to broadcast the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2018, beIN Sports broadcast the 2018FIFA World Cup. On 23 February 2020, beIN Sports announced to broadcast special shows and dedicated programs for 1000 days until the2022 FIFA World Cup. To be broadcast from February 25 on its free-to-air and HD1 channel, the programs were supposed to include historic matches, highlights from the international best players, history of Qatari football and special clips of the dayQatar won the World Cup bid.[20]
From 2012 to 2015, the network held the rights to broadcast allUEFA Euro 2012. From 2016 to 2021, beIN Sports broadcastEuro 2016 matches on the French pay-TV platform whileTF1 andM6 have thefree-to-air rights to select matches.[5]
On November 23, 2019, Canal+, beIN Sports, Fox Sports, TVE, Antena 4 and Sports 2 won the rights to broadcast Champions League matches On France, Spain, Uk, Canada and Latin America between 2021 and 2024.[21]
In France, beIN Sports holds one of five rights packages forLigue 1 from 2012 to 2016 – the package consisting of Friday night and Sunday evening matches. The other four packages are held byCanal+.[2] It also showsLigue 2 matches. For theUEFA Champions League, it has the rights to broadcast all matches except the 13 weekly first-choice picks (yet to be awarded to any broadcaster as of April 2012) from 2012.[3] It also owns the rights to allUEFA Europa League matches including the final.[4]
On France, Spain, Russian and United States beIN Sports and Canal+ also share the rights toSerie A andBundesliga matches.[22] It also airsFA Cup,Football League Championship,La Liga,Argentine Primera División[23] andBrasileirao. In theUnited States, the network holds the rights package forLigue 1,La Liga, FIFA World Cup qualification rounds in the Americas (CONMEBOL andCONCACAF), except for home matches by Mexico and the United States (which are both held byUnivision andESPN).[24] In April 2020, beIN Sports announced that it will broadcast a month-long online football gaming tournament organized byParis Saint-Germain to entertain people stuck at home, due to Coronavirus.[25][26] On 13 February 2021, beIN Sports secured exclusive domestic broadcast rights from Canal+ for the remaining matches of Ligue 2's 2020/21 season. BeIN already had the rights to broadcast two live matches per match week under its existing €30 million per season deal with the French Professional Football League (LFP) for the 2020-24 cycle. With this sublicensing deal, beIN can air the remaining eight live matches per week until the end of 2020-21 season.[27]
On 26 June 2024, all matches of Ligue 2 will be broadcast in Bein Sports from 2024–25 to 2028–29.
beIN Sports held the rights to broadcast the seasons ofQatar Stars League.
On December 27, 2017, beIN Sports bought the broadcasting rights of the TurkishSüper Lig until 2027.[28]
BeIN shows live Premiership games.
On France, Spain and Latin America beIN Sports broadcasts November test matches,European Rugby Champions Cup,European Rugby Challenge Cup,English Premiership andPro14.
beIN Sports will broadcast theSuper League including all home matches of French sideCatalans Dragons.[29] Other competitions include the AustralianNational Rugby League andState of Origin series.[29]
beIN Sports was awarded the rights to the2013 Rugby League World Cup and broadcast all matches live.[30]
In 2017,cricket debuted on the channel. BeIN Sports has acquired theCricket Australia andEngland and Wales Cricket Board rights for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and broadcast the2017–18 Ashes series and2017–18 Big Bash League season.
BeIN Sports also acquired theIndian Premier League (IPL) rights in April 2018 for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in a five-year deal withStar India up to 2022.
On early December 31, 2024, beIN Sports held the rights to broadcast the2024 Pakistan Super League.
On 23 February 2013, as part of Al-Jazeera's increasing footprint in theSuperbike World Championship, which they hold rights in the Middle East, and the transitional shutdown ofFox Sports motorsport operations in Charlotte, North Carolina, beIN Sports acquired the rights to the Superbike World Championship in the United States, which also includes live coverage of the races and also the support classes, which had never been televised in the United States in the past.[31]
beIN Sports also airs theFIA World Rallycross Championship in the United States, the Middle East, and North Africa.
In 2016, beIN Sports began to broadcast two more Dorna-controlled motorcycle road racing series in the United States and Canada --MotoGP, theSuperbike World Championship, giving them control of FIM road racing on North American television. The deal ended after the 2019. The channel also airedMotoAmerica from 2016 to 2017.
From 2014 to 2018, they had broadcast rights for the MENA, Spain and Uk region. However, in February 2019, beIN Sports,citing market conditions, declined to renew rights, and, until February 2024, the rights were instead given toMBC Action, whose parent companyMiddle East Broadcasting Center is majority-owned by the Saudi government.[32] In early 2023, beIN Sports got the rights to broadcast theFormula One in southeast Asia from 2023 to 2028,[33] and, in February 2024, reacquired rights for the MENA region as well as Turkey, which runs through 2033.[34]
beIN Sports has acquired exclusive broadcast rights to theEHF Champions League (Team Handball). The EHF Champions League is the most important club competition for men's and women's teams in Europe and involves the leading teams from the top European nations.
In January 2013, beIN Sports also acquired the broadcast rights to the2013 World Men's Handball Championship. beIN Sports USA aired live, delayed and pre-recordedHD games in the US, between January 11–27, 2013.
Basketball programming on beIN Sports has gained prominence with exclusive coverage of the NBA and Euroleague games. The network also highlights basketball’s growing popularity in the MENA region, where events like the annual NBA Abu Dhabi Games have become a major attraction, which draw fans from across the globe (Baraheni, 2024). Expert commentators like Eric Micoud guarantee that both seasoned fans and newcomers gain valuable insights into the games (Sim, 2024).
In France, beIN Sports airs theWimbledon Championships,Davis Cup,Fed Cup,ATP World Tour Masters 1000,ATP World Tour 500,ATP World Tour Finals, and someATP World Tour 250 andWTA Tour tournaments.
beIN Sports will be the exclusive broadcaster of WTA Tour in the United States, Australia, the Middle East, and North Africa from 2017 to 2021 and then returned to 2024 to 2031 with Turkey was added it rights.
With commentators such as Tatiana Golovin and Sébastien Grosjean, the network enhances the viewing experience by offering expert perspectives on player strategies and match dynamics (Martin et al., 2017).
In France, beIN Sports aired the2012 Summer Olympics tennis, handball and basketball tournaments. In athletics, beIN Sports airs theIAAF Diamond League and several international marathons and World Indoor Meetings. In cycling, it broadcasts someUCI World Tour road races, including theGiro d'Italia, as well as the UCI Road, Track, Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships ("Mountain Bike Mania," 2016-2018). The channel also airs the French Handball Championship,FIVB World League,EuroLeague (top-tier Europeanbasketball club competition),National Basketball Association (NBA),National Football League (NFL), andMajor League Baseball (MLB).
On 25 May 2016, the U.S. beIN Sports announced that it had acquired partial rights toConference USAcollege sports, including a package of selectedcollege football,basketball,baseball,softball, andsoccer matches. The deal marks the firstAmerican football-related contract the U.S. network has acquired.[35]
On 20 April 2018,professional wrestling debuted on the channel with the premiere ofMajor League Wrestling's weekly series,MLW Fusion, onbeIN Sports USA.[36]
The channel's football coverage is notably fronted byRichard Keys andAndy Gray.
| Name | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Keys | Anchor | Presenter ofEnglish Premier League Football |
| Andy Gray | Analyst | Analyst ofEnglish Premier League Football |
| Nigel de Jong | Analyst | Analyst ofEnglish Premier League &Champions League Football |
| Didier Domi | Analyst | Analyst ofEnglish Premier League &Champions League Football |
| Aarran Summers | Anchor | Presenter ofUEFA Champions League,UEFA Europa League andEnglish Premier League Football |
| Nicola Crosby | Anchor | Presenter ofEnglish Premier League Football |
| Andy Kerr | Reporter | Reporter ofEnglish Premier League Football |
Football remains at the core of beIN Sports' programming, featuring tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, and La Liga. Iconic broadcasters Richard Keys and Andy Gray lead the channel’s analysis, offering in-depth commentary and tactical breakdowns of matches. This approach has elevated beIN Sports as the go-to network for football fans globally (BeIN Sports, 2024).
| Name | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Darren Tulett | Presenter | Host ofSports Night |
| Jean-Pierre Papin | Pundit | Le Club pundit |
| Robert Pires | Pundit | Le Club pundit |
| Patrick Vieira | Pundit | Le Club pundit |
| Luis Fernandez | Pundit | Le Club pundit |
| Sonny Anderson | Pundit | Le Club pundit |
| Ludovic Giuly | Pundit | Le Club pundit |
| Éric Di Meco | Commentator | Ligue 1 andUEFA Champions League co-commentator |
| Patrice Ferri | Commentator | Ligue 1,FA Cup,Football League Cup,UEFA Champions League andUEFA Europa League co-commentator |
| Bruno Cheyrou | Commentator | Ligue 1,Serie A,Coppa Italia,UEFA Champions League andUEFA Europa League co-commentator |
| Omar Da Fonseca | Commentator | La Liga,Copa del Rey,UEFA Champions League andUEFA Europa League co-commentator |
| Jean-Alain Boumsong | Commentator | Ligue 1,Ligue 2,UEFA Champions League andUEFA Europa League co-commentator |
| Brahim Thiam | Commentator | Ligue 1 andUEFA Europa League co-commentator |
| Gernot Rohr | Commentator | Bundesliga co-commentator |
| Thomas Rongen | Commentator | Ligue 1 andCONMEBOL Recopa Sudamericana color commentator |
| Gary Bailey | Commentator | La Liga andLigue 1 color commentator |
| Kaylyn Kyle | Commentator | La Liga andLigue 1 color commentator |
| Terri Leigh | Presenter | Host ofThe Express |
| Hamad Jassim | Presenter | Presenter ofBeIN Sports News |
| Andy Gray | Analyst | Co-presenter of English Premier League Football |
| Gaizka Mendieta | Commentator and Pundit | Xtra Champions League (Valencia playoffs UEFA Champions League). |
| Andoni Zubizarreta | Pundit and commentator | Pundit inEl Club and commentator in UEFA Champions League matches. |
| Jorge Valdano | Pundit and commentator | Pundit inEl Club and commentator in UEFA Champions League matches. |
| Alberto Edjogo-Owono | Pundit | Pundit inEl Club. |
| Neymar | special guest | Special guest inEl Club. |
| Eric Abidal | Pundit | Pundit inXtra Highlights andEl Club. |
| César Sánchez | Pundit | Pundit inEl Club. |
| Thomas Jenkins | Pundit | Pundit inEl Club. |
| Name | Role | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|
| Éric Micoud | Commentator | NBA andEuroleague co-commentator |
| Name | Role | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|
| Fabrice Santoro | Commentator | Wimbledon,ATP World Tour Finals,Masters 1000 and500 series co-commentator |
| Tatiana Golovin | Commentator | Wimbledon,ATP World Tour Finals,Masters 1000 and500 series co-commentator |
| Sébastien Grosjean | Commentator | Wimbledon,ATP World Tour Finals,Masters 1000 and500 series co-commentator |
| Name | Role | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|
| Olivier Girault | Commentator | EHF Champions League co-commentator |
| Véronique Pecqueux-Rolland | Commentator | EHF Women's Champions League co-commentator |
| Name | Role | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|
| Éric Bonneval | Commentator | Test match,English Premiership andPro14 co-commentator |
| Dimitri Yachvili | Commentator | Test match co-commentator |
| Benjamin Boyet | Commentator | Test match co-commentator |
beIN Sports has heavily invested in digital platforms to expand its reach. The beIN CONNECT platform enables subscribers to stream live and on-demand content across multiple devices, including smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs. During UEFA Euro 2024, beIN CONNECT recorded over 1.2 billion views, showcasing the platform's ability to engage a global audience at scale (BeIN Sports, 2024). By leveraging advanced technologies, the network personalizes recommendations and ensures high-quality viewing experiences, keeping pace with evolving viewer expectations (Sim, 2024).
beIN Sports 1 HD broadcasts year-round live football with thePremier League (2013–2019) being prominent as well as content from Arsenal, Liverpool, and Spurs club channels instreaming media. Other live coverage will come from theSerie A (2013–2021 exclude 2016–2018),Ligue 1,Major League Soccer (MLS), the Brazilian national leagues (Paulistao & Brasileirão) (2013–2015), as well as major cup tournaments such as theFA Cup (2013–2024),Coppa Italia (2013 and 2014), and theCoupe de la Ligue. Other sports are broadcasting on that channel includingFormula One (since 2023), and theWorld Rally Championship. In 2014, beIN Sports was pulled from First Media due to carriage fee concern and this channel was removed fromTransvision in 2016. However,MNC Vision just carries this channel from 2016 until 2022 and then returned from 17 September 2024 asUEFA Champions League rights has returned into the channel in Indonesia after 2015–18 seasons.
From 2016, this channel also broadcast not only football but other sporting events, such as: Tennis, Motor-racing, Handball, and many more.
beIN Sports 2 HD will also feature live football but will have another sports remit. Starting January 2022, beIN Sports 2 will begin airing tennis coverages as the latter acquired broadcast rights of theAustralian Open, theFrench Open and theATP tours.
beIN Sports 3 HD same as the beIN Sports 2 HD. This channel has been launched since August 2016, replacing the Premier League channel.
Premier League HD will be a 24-hour Premier League-dedicated channel in Indonesia broadcasting nearly 1,600 hours of live programming from 2013–14 to 2015–16 season. This includes all 380 Premier League matches per season, weekly magazine show Premier League World, as well as pre-match coverage and post-game analysis in addition to weekly preview and review shows and highlights in interviews.[37]
Despite most of its North American broadcast rights contracts covering both the United States and Canada, beIN Sports initially was not authorized to broadcast in the country nor had it sub-licensed any of its programmings to local broadcasters. The channel had a difficult time finding a broadcaster willing to partner up with it to launch its services. In October 2013, beIN Sports launched an online streaming service in Canada through their websitewww.beINsportsplay.ca. The live service was available at no charge for registered users until 1 February 2014; since then, users can access the streams for CAD$19.99 per month. On-demand coverage is not available through beIN Sports Play Canada.[38]
On 18 December 2013, beIN Sports announced they had reached a deal with Ethnic Channels Group, a local ethnic broadcaster, to launch their services in Canada.[39] The channel was officially launched on 31 January 2014 viaMTS andNEXTV.
beIN Sports HD is available on Shaw Cable on channel 234,[40] Rogers Cable on channel 391,[41] on Bell Satellite & Fibe on channel 1412,[42] onVideotron on channel 797 and through OTT broadcasterDAZN.
Moreover, beIN Sports entered the market through partnerships with local providers such as Ethnic Channels Group and digital platforms like DAZN. The availability of the beIN CONNECT platform has further expanded its accessibility, which offers flexible viewing options for subscribers (Chee, 2023).
In July 2018, beIN Sports struck a multi-million rights deal with French sports agency, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), granting it the sole rights in MENA to broadcast all its major events until 2023. But in April 2019, ASO confirmed that one its major event, Dakar Rally would be held in Saudi Arabia from 2020 under a multi-year accord. Following which, beIN said that ASO was trying to exit its MENA deal and instead making a transition towards Saudi broadcaster.[43] However, in October 2019, the president of the Nanterre Commercial Court in France ruled that ASO must continue to maintain its five-year exclusive rights agreement with beIN.[44]
beIN Sports has partnered with the Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) to broadcast exclusive events like the Dakar Rally, further diversifying its sports portfolio and appealing to motorsport fans (Al-Obaidly, 2019).
beIN Sports' market positions in not important regions have led to concerns over the network's dominance. In 2016, French authorities blocked a deal by beIN Sports France to sub-license its sports properties toCanal+ Sport, as it would have given the partnership control of 80% of French sports media rights.[45][46] At the2017 World Men's Handball Championship, whose international media rights were owned by beIN Sports, French radio stations declined to air the tournament as beIN Sports wanted them to pay administrative fees about five times higher than technical cost, in violation of French law.[47] The2017 Africa Cup of Nations were also left without domestic television coverage in four countries participating in the tournament – Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia – due to exorbitant sublicensing fees being demanded from free-to-air broadcasters by beIN as the region's rightsholder.[48]
In August 2018, beIN Sports was fined, and subsequently banned from operating in Saudi Arabia, with the government citing its forcedbundling of the networks with unrelated services. beIN criticised the actions as being politically-motivated.[49][50] The following March, beIN's rights to theAsian Football Confederation (AFC) were stripped in Saudi Arabia to "cancel" its monopoly on the sport, due to the "illegality of BeIN Sport [sic] to transmit in the Kingdom due to the grave violations of the laws and regulations BeIN Sport has committed", and "its inability to obtain the required licenses necessary for it to fulfil its commitments in transmitting AFC's competitions to the viewers and followers in the Kingdom". beIN threatened legal action, accusing the AFC of colluding with theSaudi Arabian Football Federation to breach its contract.[51][52]
By contrast, beIN Sports' relatively niche position in the United States (where it focuses particularly on international sports not picked up by other networks) led to criticism of its broadcasting deal with theWTA Tour for non-domestic events, as the channel's prioritisation of football in its scheduling, narrower carriage than its previous broadcasterTennis Channel, as well as being dropped by several major cable providers in 2018, limited the availability of its coverage. These issues led to concerns that the limited coverage would give women's tennis little exposure outside of majors and domestic tour events. beIN Sports U.S. dropped the WTA Tour after the 2018 season, and it subsequently signed a new contract to return to Tennis Channel in the 2019 season.[53][54][55][56]
In April 2020, amidst claims ofSaudi PIF taking over Premier League clubNewcastle United, beIN Sports wrote a letter to league's chief executive Richard Masters and issued a notice to 19 clubs, except Newcastle. In its letter, the broadcaster claimed that Saudi Arabian pay TV networkbeoutQ, has been illicitly regulating itscopyright protected content and demandedPremier League to block the deal. "Given the crippling economic effect thatcoronavirus is having on the sports industry, this is all happening at a time when football clubs need to protect their broadcast revenue the most," BeIN chief executive Yousef al-Obaidly wrote.[57]
beIN has unveiled its new streaming service for the MENA region.[58]
In 2014, thePremier League restrictedbeIN Sports in the MENA region to airing one match per-week with a 3:00 p.m. UK time kickoff on television only. As these matchesmay not be broadcast within the United Kingdom due to domestic rights restrictions,[59][60] the Premier League showed concerns that beIN was not taking adequate steps to prevent its streaming broadcasts from being used for unauthorized retransmissions, especially into the United Kingdom. In November 2014, the Premier League reinstated beIN's full access to 3 p.m. fixtures.[61][62]
In 2020, the company wrote to Premier League clubs to warn them against agreeing to a takeover deal with a Saudi-led consortium for Newcastle United, because of Saudi backing for the "theft" of BeIN transmissions by the Saidi broadcasterbeoutQ. The Premier League board is currently allowed the deal to go through.
Due to the then-ongoingdiplomatic crisis between Qatar and other Arab countries, beIN has been restricted from doing business in Saudi Arabia and the UAE since June 2017.[63][64] The UAE un-banned the MENA network a month later, with no progress from Saudi Arabia reported.[65][66] Months later in August 2018, it was revealed the Saudi pirate broadcaster,beoutQ, has been pirating the networks' programming in the region for over a year,[67][68] which has faced criticism from beIN and rightsholders over its "industrial-scale"copyright infringement.[69][70][71][72] However, no law firm in Saudi Arabia was reportedly willing to represent the rightsholders in Saudi courts. Nor was the Saudi-majority ownedArabSat reported of responding to takedown pleas against beoutQ. In August 2019, the operations were eventually taken off-air. However, in November of same year, beIN Media alerted that despite ceasing satellite transmissions in mid-August, pirate broadcast operation, beoutQ, was still distributing its copyrighted content via the IPTV function of set-top boxes.[73] beIN Media's licence in Saudi Arabia was permanently revoked by Saudi authorities in July 2020 under the charges of antitrust practices following theWorld Trade Organization ruling the prior month concluding that Saudi Arabia didn't take any noticeable action in stopping beoutQ, and to the contrary, harboured and sponsored its operations.[74][75] beIN Media says that even afterthe signing of al-'Ula Declaration in early January 2021, Saudi Arabia is yet to reverse its decision to ban its operations in the national market.
However, on 6 October 2021, beIN media group said in a statement that Saudi Arabia will soon lift a four year ban on the channel and close its pirate websites, only beIN holds the rights to broadcast the Premier League across the Middle East.[76]
In November 2019, beIN Sports announced that it was reviewing its partnership withSerie A and considering cancelling all of its agreements in Italian football, following the league's decision to play aSupercoppa Italiana match betweenJuventus andLazio in Saudi Arabia, despite piracy concerns. "It is remarkable what Serie A is seemingly prepared to jeopardize, not only all the financial revenues from one of its biggest broadcaster partners, but also the exposure beIN gives to the league in markets all around the world," a statement from the television network read.[77]
beIN Sports normally shows top-tier Italian football matches in 35 countries but on Saturday night, anyone tuning in to watch Torino take on Parma inSerie A's return would have been disappointed.
In matchweek 27 of2019–20 season, other countries (exc.NZ), viewers were treated instead to aTurkish Süper Lig match between Denizlispor and Besiktas. And a late-night trawl through beIN Sports website for all of Saturday's results suggested there weren't any games played in Italy—just England, Spain, France and Germany. For the record, Torino and Parma drew 1-1.
But in matchweek 28, beIN Sports social medias apologizes to all global viewers and announced the comeback coverage.[78]
beIN paid $500 million to broadcastSerie A from 2018 to 2021, an agreement that has been beset by snags. It claims strong backing from competitions including England's Premier League, Spain's La Liga and the Wimbledon tennis championships, as part of a long-running campaign against its sports rights being pirated in Saudi Arabia.[79]
