(Reuters) – Qatar’s beIN Sports has agreed a 10-year-deal to broadcast Formula One exclusively across the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, both parties announced on Wednesday ahead of the Bahrain season-opener.
The pay-TV broadcaster held the rights until the end of the 2018 season, when it decided not to renew as a consequence of piracy in the region.
A ‘BeoutQ’ channel had emerged in 2017 after Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a diplomatic and trade boycott of Qatar, accusing the tiny Gulf state of supporting terrorism, which Doha denied.
The 3-1/2 year boycott ended in 2021 and Qatar has been steadily mending ties with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain since then.
The regional rights went free-to-air in 2019 under a five-year deal with MBC Group, founded by Saudi businessman Waleed al-Ibrahim.
The new deal gives beIN rights to broadcast every race weekend, starting with this year’s record 24 round season.
Formula One said they would work closely together to develop localised content for the region across various formats and platforms.
The Middle East has four grands prix with Saudi Arabia following Bahrain next week and Qatar and Abu Dhabi the final two rounds in December.
BeIN is also the exclusive broadcaster of Formula One in 10 Asia Pacific countries as part of a deal running to the end of next year.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Christian Radnedge)
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