BeIN, the heavyweight Qatari pay-TV broadcaster, has extended its exclusive broadcast deal in 27 countries covering English soccer’s second-tier EFL.
The deal, which covers all three EFL divisions and the EFL Cup, stretches across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), France, Australia, and New Zealand, and runs through the 2027-28 campaign.
It kicked off over the weekend, during the second round of EFL 2024-25 league fixtures. The agreement was brokered by Pitch International, the EFL’s overseas media rights sales agency for Europe and the Middle East.
Through this agreement, 155 matches from the second-tier Championship, as well as 38 from Leagues 1 and 2, will be shown each season. In addition, all EFL post-season playoff games will be shown, as will all 93 matches from the EFL Cup.
The new contract will take the relationship between BeIN and the EFL beyond 18 years.
BeIN has unveiled multiple deals across MENA for soccer rights over the last week, most prominently, tie-ups with Spain’s LaLiga and France’s Ligue 1.
It also holds rights to the English Premier League in that region.
The EFL contains numerous players from Australia, and France, in particular.
Last month, the EFL tied up its US broadcast rights for the next four seasons in a deal with CBS Sports.
Domestically, meanwhile, rights are held through 2028-29 by pay-TV heavyweight Sky, in a financially lucrative deal for the EFL. That tie-up is estimated to be worth in the region of $235 million each season.
