Al Jazeera secures MENA English Premier League deal

Al Jazeera Sport has secured rights to English Premier League football in the Middle East and North Africa for the next three years, starting from next month.

Al Jazeera has struck a deal with sports rights outfit MP & Silva, which secured the rights to distribute Premier League games in the region in January, for access to all 380 matches across the Arab-speaking world.

MP & Silva are understood to have paid about US$300 million (€230 million) for the League at the time, beating previous rights holders Abu Dhabi Media as well as Al Jazeera. The value of the deal with Al Jazeera, which has not been disclosed, comes after a period when it was not clear who would broadcast EPL matches in the region.

“We are extremely excited by the addition of the Barclays Premier League for the next three year cycle, the value that this can add to our customer proposition and extending further our portfolio of top European football,” said Al Jazeera Sport chairman Nasser Al Khelaifi.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Al Jazeera Sport as a new partner in Middle East North Africa. We look forward to working with them and are confident they will broadcast the Barclays Premier League in a comprehensive and innovative manner to our fans in the region,” said Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore.