Serie A and Abu Dhabi Media strike €75m MENA rights deal after beIN exit

• Serie A has not had a permanent MENA rights partner since the end of 2020/21
• League chooses to stream games on YouTube
• BeIN withdraws from tender after frustrated with negotiation process

Italian football’s top division, Serie A, has finally found a permanent broadcaster in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) after accepting an offer from Abu Dhabi Media (ADM) worth at least 75 million euros ($79 million).

Depending on the number of subscribers the league generates for ADM, the value of the three-year deal from the 2022/23 season could increase. Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Serie A has been without a permanent broadcaster in the MENA region since BeIN Sports opted not to renew its contract beyond the 2020/21 season. The Qatar-based pay-TV broadcaster accused the alliance of failing to address content theft, particularly with Saudi Arabia’s piracy network BeoutQ. The deal to host the Super BowlItalian football’s premier domestic knockout stage in Saudi Arabia has also soured relations between the two sides.

Serie A has been unable to find a MENA rights partner since Bein’s departure, leading to top flight The game must be played in the region On YouTube, the Google-owned video platform.

However, an unlikely reunion between Serie A and BeIN appeared imminent when the broadcaster confirmed last month that an offer had been made. The offer was well below the value of its previous contract, but higher than ADM’s proposal.

Dan Friedkin, boss of domestic giant AS Roma, played a key role in getting BeIN to bid, effectively bypassing Serie A chief Luigi De Silvo, whose relationship with BeIN is believed to have broken down.

However, Sports major It is understood that BeIN pulled out of the game after becoming frustrated with the negotiation process, which saw signs of favoritism and infighting among Serie A football executives.

BeIN has been asked to make multiple bids over the past week and claims its offer is significantly higher than its competitors. Ultimately, the broadcaster felt it had been treated badly, prompting its decision to withdraw from the process entirely.