International broadcast giant, BeIN Sports, through its Turkish subsidiary Digiturk, has successfully secured full domestic rights to the next three seasons of action from Turkish soccer’s Süper Lig. The deal extends a domestic broadcast relationship with the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) that has been in place since 2016.
BeIN will pay a whopping $218.4 million including VAT for package E of the tender which includes broadcasting rights to all games. The TFF unveiled BeIN as the chosen broadcast partner for all action from the 20-team league and from the second-tier First Lig through 2026-27 over a recent weekend.
Youssef Al-Obaidly, chief executive at BeIN Media Group and of Digiturk, said:
“We are delighted to have won all local and international broadcasting rights to the Super League and TFF 1st League by submitting the highest bid in the tender process. We remain fully committed to offering the highest quality content to sports fans and will continue our efforts to strengthen the position of Turkish football in the global market.
“We believe in Turkish football – it is a rising star in the footballing ecosystem – and as its biggest investor, we are delighted to help support its strategy and goals.”
The legal process through which BeIN retains its status as the domestic home of Turkey's top tier will be completed by March 11th.
Saran Media Group have accused TFF of unfair tender process
However, this announcement was not without controversy. Saran Media Group had also submitted an initial bid before the first tender was abruptly called off late last week and now plans to assess options going forward.
Saran alleges that it had previously received assurances by TFF that BeIN would not be allowed to participate in this tender process and feels betrayed by what they perceive as a broken pledge by TFF.
Saran Group released a statement:
“We react with great sadness and surprise to the outcome of the TFF Super League and First League broadcast rights tender, which is closely followed by the public. Unfortunately, a fair, competitive, and open broadcasting rights tender could not be held again, just like two years ago.”
Saran also said that BeIN “has made a habit of not making offers in accordance with the specifications.”
BeIN have questions to answer in the upcoming tenure
This agreement further cements Digiturk's position as both domestic and international broadcaster for Süper Lig matches until at least end of season 2026-27. This comes after their current deals are set to expire at end of ongoing season in 2023-24.
However, reaching this point was not without challenges due to issues surrounding digital piracy within Turkey and allegations against BeIN made by Fenerbahce fans who claimed manipulation of VAR decisions and biased camera angles during highlights coverage.
The negotiations for the last deal were particularly tough, with BeIN offering a lower fee for the rights due to its dissatisfaction with the level of digital piracy within Turkey. The broadcaster claimed it had been fighting this issue single-handedly.
Moreover, BeIN faced an anti-BeIN campaign led by Fenerbahce fans who accused it of manipulating VAR decisions and choosing camera angles that portrayed them unfavorably. In response, they altered BeIN’s logo to read ‘beFAIR’ on their pitchside advertising boards and team apparel.
Despite these challenges, this new agreement signifies a continued partnership between BeIN and TFF, promising more exciting seasons of Turkish soccer's Süper Lig for sports fans worldwide.
