Saudi Arabia has held talks to acquire Qatari sports broadcaster BeIN Sports, according to The Telegraph.
The newspaper reports that negotiations began immediately after the Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) takeover of Premier League club Newcastle United in October 2021, and have continued since then.
BeIN is the second sports broadcaster to be linked with Saudi investment this month, with the PIF denying it was in talks to take a stake with streaming service DAZN.
A potential deal between Saudi and BeIN would signify a significant shift in relations between the country and Qatar, given that BeIN was banned from broadcasting in Saudi Arabia as recently as 2017. The broadcaster’s content subsequently emerged on the BeoutQ pirate streaming service which Qatar alleged was backed by its neighbour.
In 2021, Saudi Arabia agreed to lift its broadcast ban on BeIN, with BeoutQ turned off as a result. This move was seen to a major step forward for the Premier League approving the PIF’s takeover of Newcastle, given BeIN’s position as a major broadcast partner of the English top-flight and its opposition to the deal on piracy grounds.
However investment talks were said to have been complicated by Saudi Arabia blocking BeIN’s TOD.tv streaming service during the 2022 Fifa World Cup, meaning Saudi fans were unable to watch several games from the tournament.
BeIN has since strengthened its grip on sports rights in the MENA region, having inked rights extensions for the National Basketball Association (NBA), Formula One, and all four of tennis’ grand slams. It has also reportedly extended its broadcast partnership with the Premier League for the next rights cycle.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has expanded its sports investment portfolio considerably. Through both the PIF and the SURJ investment venture, it has entered partnerships with a number of properties including the men’s ATP and women’s WTA tennis tours and the Professional Fighters League (PFL) promotion. Earlier this year, it was linked with investing in a franchise in English cricket’s The Hundred competition.
As well as expanding its presence in sports, Saudi Arabia has also placed an emphasis on improving its own sporting prowess. To help with advancing women’s soccer within the kingdom, the country’s soccer federation has announced a new three-year partnership with Unilever brand Rexona.
The deal will see Rexona will become an official partner of the Saudi women’s national team soccer programme. It will also be the first official partner to the kingdom’s women’s national team soccer programme across all levels.
The Saudi Arabia’s women’s national soccer team played their first match in 2022, which was the same year the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) launched the Saudi Women’s Premier League.
By SportsPromedia
