Saudi company gets Asian Football Confederation broadcast rights

Asian Football Confederation president Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa and FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the stands during the AFC Champions League final between Persepolis and Ulsan Hyundai at the Al Janoub Stadium on 19 December 2020 in Al Wakrah, Qatar. [Mohamed Farag/Getty Images]

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has signed an exclusive agreement with the Saudi Sports Company to broadcast the Asian Cup and Asian Champions League, Saudi state TV said on Monday, Reuters reports.

Under the deal, Saudi Sports Company will have exclusive rights in Saudi Arabia to broadcast the AFC’s major national team and club competitions for the commercial cycle 2021-24, the confederation said in a statement on its website.

Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal had told The Financial Times in November that the state-controlled sports media company would not bid for TV rights for the Middle East but instead focus solely on serving the kingdom.

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