The agreement between the German top flight and the Qatari broadcaster ends its two year hiatus in the Middle East and North Africa
The German Bundesliga will return to screens in the MENA region after beIN Sports came to an agreement with the league to broadcast fixtures on TV and live streaming in the Middle East and North Africa. The deal is set to run for the next three seasons.
The agreement ends a two year period of absence for the Bundesliga in the area, as coverage of the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund reappears on screens in all 24 MENA countries.
The winning party, beIN Sports, will air 306 Bundesliga matches per season, as well as the relegation playoffs at the end of the campaign, the German Supercup and selected matches from the second tier Bundesliga 2.
beIN will also have the opportunity to produce and share clips and highlights across its various social media platforms, YouTube channel and on its website, for fans in the MENA region to enjoy.
This latest agreement between the two sees beIN Sports extend its global coverage of the Bundesliga. The broadcaster already owned the rights to the German top flight in France, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand, and with the addition of the MENA region, will now show Bundesliga matches in 28 markets around the world.
The aforementioned Bundesliga hiatus was one of the many repercussions of beIN Sports' battle against the state of Saudi Arabia and its sponsored piracy network beoutQ, which has since been disbanded.
The previous deal between beIN and the Bundesliga came to an end in 2020, when beIN chose not to renew the deal, in light of the ongoing piracy issue involving its neighbour. That problem has now been resolved and the partnership between the two can resume in the region, including in Saudi Arabia itself.
Mohammad Al-Subaie, CEO of beIN MENA, said of the deal:
“We are delighted to welcome the Bundesliga back to beIN Sports in the MENA region. As one of the biggest and most significant leagues in world football, we’re proud to give German football fans the best viewing and engagement experiences, while helping German football flourish and grow. From the English Premier League, LaLiga, Ligue 1, UEFA competitions and an unparalleled multi-sports offering, Bundesliga sits alongside the best sports products in the world, as beIN SPORTS continues to be the ultimate destination for football and sports fans alike."
Robert Klein, CEO of Bundesliga International, gave his views:
“With stars such as reigning African Player of the Year Sadio Mane lighting up the league each week, we look forward to working with beIN Sports to deliver world class localised content and showcase the best of the Bundesliga over the next three years to the millions of football fans throughout the region, who can now follow the league as well as their favourite teams and players again.”
This is the latest story of a big European league returning to screens in the MENA region, after Serie A came to an agreement with Abu Dhabi Media last month to come back to the territory after its own one-year hiatus.
It seems that football fans in the Middle East and North Africa will now be able to enjoy all of the football they want from the biggest leagues in the world, after being starved of coverage during recent seasons.
You can read more football news right here on Sporticos, and don't forget to head to our football live streams page where you can watch matches from some of the biggest leagues in the world via live streaming.
