Turkish Süper Lig renews BeIN TV rights deal after eventful auction – SportsPro

• Deal for domestic and international rights is lower than US$370m BeIN paid last season
• TFF had awarded some rights to a lower Saran bid before deal was stuck

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Qatari-based pay-TV network BeIN Sports and its Digiturk subsidiary will remain the exclusive global broadcaster partner of the Turkish soccer’s top-flight Süper Lig for at least another two seasons, bringing an end to what has been an eventful bidding process.

Financial details for this latest contract have not been disclosed, but it is thought the deal is significantly less than the US$500 million a year terms of the previous five-year contract agreed in 2015, coming in “slightly” lower than the reported US$370 million renegotiated terms that BeIN paid last season.

The deal covers rights to live matches from Turkey’s top two soccer competitions and means BeIN can show matches on its international networks or sell them onto third parties where it does not have a presence. Digiturk’s soccer packages have also previously been made available via pay-TV subscriptions to the Turkish diaspora overseas.

“We are pleased to extend our relationship with the TFF for a further two years as the official broadcaster of the Turkish Süper Lig and TFF 1. Lig, both in Turkey and many markets around the world,” said Yousef Al-Obaidly, chief executive of the BeIN Media Group and Digiturk.

“As the most significant and longest-standing investor in Turkish football, we will continue to deliver innovative and quality broadcasting, using the best-in-class technology and platforms, so fans of Turkish football have the best experience supporting their teams. We will also continue to help raise the profile and prominence of Turkish football all around the world as TFF’s trusted partner.”

That BeIN and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) have managed to agree a settlement was no foregone conclusion and the cordial nature of the statement betrays a series of extraordinary events that have threatened relations over the past year.

Early in 2021, Fenerbahce president Ali Koc accused BeIN of manipulating replays sent to the video assistant referee (VAR) so that his team were penalised. These unsubstantiated claims were supported by a ‘BeFAIR’ campaign that saw slogans and altered versions of the BeIN logo showed on pitch side advertising and player T-shirts before legal action was taken.

BeIN then turned down the opportunity to renew its contract on the same terms, preferring to take its chances in an auction that was led by agency IMG. The TFF was reportedly said to be unhappy with the value of the bids on the table when compared to its previous deal and decided to accept a bid from Saran Group for half of the matches on offer despite it being lower than the US$150 million a season BeIN was prepared to pay at the time.

Three months on and BeIN and the TFF have finally managed to agree a deal that is still thought to be significantly higher than any other bidder.

“Digiturk has been our trusted partner for over two decades, investing enormously in our product and delivering unparalleled quality in broadcasting,” said Mehmet Büyükekşi, TFF president. “There is not a more experienced media company in the sports business than BeIN Media Group, nor bigger investor in Turkish football, and we’re pleased our partnership can continue until 2024.”