Saudi Arabia has reportedly been in discussions to acquire Qatari sports broadcaster BeIN Sports, according to The Telegraph. Talks are said to have begun shortly after the Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquired Premier League club Newcastle United in October 2021 and have continued since.
This is the second major sports broadcaster linked to Saudi investment recently, following the PIF’s denial of interest in streaming service DAZN. A potential deal with BeIN would mark a significant shift in the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, especially considering BeIN was banned in Saudi Arabia in 2017. The ban came amid piracy allegations, with Qatar accusing its neighbor of supporting the pirate service BeoutQ, which illegally streamed BeIN content.
The ban was lifted in 2021, a move seen as pivotal for the Premier League’s approval of PIF’s Newcastle takeover, given BeIN’s role as a key broadcast partner. However, tensions resurfaced during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, when Saudi Arabia blocked BeIN’s TOD.tv streaming service, preventing local fans from watching several matches.
Despite these complications, BeIN has strengthened its sports rights portfolio in the MENA region, securing renewals with the NBA, Formula One, tennis’ Grand Slam tournaments, and the Premier League for the next rights cycle.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has significantly expanded its sports investments, with PIF and the SRJ Sports Investments venture securing partnerships with the ATP and WTA tennis tours, the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and potentially English cricket’s The Hundred competition.
In parallel to its global sports ambitions, Saudi Arabia is also focusing on enhancing its domestic sports infrastructure. The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) recently announced a three-year partnership with Unilever brand Rexona to support the development of women’s soccer in the kingdom. Rexona will be the first official partner of Saudi Arabia’s women’s national soccer team, which played its first match in 2022, the same year SAFF launched the Saudi Women’s Premier League.