BeIN Sports, the international pay-TV giant, has extended its broadcast and digital partnership with basketball’s NBA across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
The renewed agreement will see BeIN continue to air more than 400 live NBA games exclusively across the MENA region.
The extension builds on a 17-year collaboration between the two parties as the broadcaster has held the rights to the NBA in MENA since 2008.
The new deal was announced ahead of the NBA’s return to the Middle East as it prepares to stage two pre-season games in Abu Dhabi on Friday (October 4) and Sunday between the reigning champions the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets.
The doubleheader, which marks the first time that the previous two NBA champions will go head-to-head in an NBA Global Game, will be shown by BeIN.
In addition to airing at least two live NBA fixtures each game night of the regular season, the Qatar-based broadcaster will cover the league’s marquee events including the Global Games, Christmas Day games, NBA All-Star 2025, the NBA Playoffs, the Conference Finals, and the Finals.
BeIN will air games in Arabic, English, and French.
The collaboration continues to include rights to NBA TV, the league’s 24/7 in-house channel, and access to extensive video highlights, news, stats, scores, and original digital content in Arabic on the BeIN website, the league’s official online destination in the region.
Elsa Memmi, NBA Europe and Middle East vice president of global media distribution, said: “There is incredible momentum around basketball and the NBA in the Middle East and North Africa.
“BeIN MENA will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of the NBA and our marquee events for our growing fanbase in the region.”
The pay-TV heavyweight has also confirmed a new one-year agreement in France, retaining rights it has held in the country since 2012.
Despite being a long-term NBA broadcaster in France, BeIN has only signed a short-term renewal.
As part of its major new rights deal in the US, the NBA recently announced that retail giant Amazon will broadcast some games in France between 2025 and 2036.
The 2024-25 NBA regular season will begin on October 22 with the Celtics tipping things off against the New York Knicks.
