beIN MEDIA GROUP (“beIN”) has agreed a deal to broadcast the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021TM in 24 countries across the Middle East and North Africa (“MENA”).
Coverage of all 32 matches from the 16-nation tournament being hosted in Qatar will be broadcast live on beIN SPORTS in Arabic and English. It all gets underway on Tuesday, November 30th, with the final taking place on Saturday, December 18th, a year to the day from when the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM final will take place.
This is the first time the FIFA Arab Cup 2021TM is taking place under the FIFA banner, with Arab nations from both the AFC and CAF confederations participating in this showpiece tournament ahead of next year’s FIFA World CupTM. In all, there have been nine previous editions of the competition formally known as the Arab Nations Cup, which was last played in 2012.
beIN SPORTS is one of FIFA’s established broadcast partners globally across men’s and women’s football and is the Official Broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM next year in 25 countries, spanning France and MENA.
Commenting on the deal, CEO of beIN MENA Mohammad Al-Subaie, said: “As we gear up for arguably the biggest year in beIN’s history when we broadcast the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM in MENA and France next year, we’re delighted to be bringing another showpiece event to our viewers across the 24 countries in the MENA region with the FIFA Arab Cup 2021TM this year.
“This tournament will bring together 16 top regional nations in celebration of football and different cultures across the Arab world. It’s an event that will excite fans across the region and we look forward to bringing our viewers all the passion, colour, actions, and emotions directly to their screens and devices over the coming weeks. No-one broadcasts major sports events like beIN SPORTS".
beIN SPORTS’ Exclusive FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021TM Programming
The home of beIN’s coverage of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021TM will be beIN SPORTS 1 and beIN SPORTS 2. beIN SPORTS 1 will carry all the studios and games, whilst beIN SPORTS 2 will offer the enhanced “Match Center” multi-box coverage, including a permanent stream of match statistics and team news.
Coverage will begin every day at 11:00 MECCA, with the daily Morning Show. The channels will then go on to showcase all the action from the day, and close with the daily Evening Show from 00:30 MECCA. During both shows, beIN will also offer the best studio discussions and analysis around with the biggest names in Arabic football.
There will also be additional coverage of the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021TM on the beIN 4K channel, including the opening ceremony on Tuesday, November 30th from Al Bayt Stadium.
The biggest highlights and behind-the-scenes action will be broadcast every day in Arabic during the tournament on the beIN SPORTS Channel and on beIN’s social media channels. Whereas English coverage will be available to viewers on beIN SPORTS ENGLISH 1 with live commentary and English studios.
Four Group Stage matches will be played on the first day, with kick-off on beIN at 13:00 MECCA for Tunisia vs. Mauritania; 16:00 MECCA for Iraq vs. Oman; 19:00 MECCA for Qatar vs. Bahrain; and 22:00 for the United Arab Emirates vs. Syria.
Twelve beIN reporters will be based in Qatar, providing updates, team news, and fan reactions.
Throughout the tournament, beIN will broadcast a series of 16 half-hour documentaries, highlighting each Arab country’s national team and history. The network will also display a behind-the-scenes look at the construction of the six new iconic FIFA World CupTM stadiums: Al Bayt, Al Thumama, Ahmad Bin Ali, 974, Education City, and Al Janoub.
The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021TM will be hosted across six stadiums in Qatar, two of which will be recently completed stadia hosting their inaugural matches. Al Bayt Stadium will host the fixture between Qatar and Bahrain on the opening evening, which will feature a stunning opening ceremony ahead of kick-off. The venue – which will be the largest stadium used during the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021TM at a capacity of 60,000 – will also stage the final on 18th December. The second new venue will be the 974 Stadium which holds 40,000 and will stage six matches, including the first game of the tournament and the third-place play-off.
beIN SPORTS is the home of live sport in MENA broadcasting thousands of hours of premium sport every week. This includes men’s and women’s UEFA club competitions, top leagues including the Premier League, LaLiga, and Ligue 1, every tennis Grand Slam, the NBA, the summer and winter Olympic Games, and much, much more.
