Partnership includes branded programming hours and dedicated linear channel in MENA offering year-round coverage of Olympic sports and athletes
MADRID – 4 September 2017 – Bringing fans and viewers closer to the Olympic Movement all year round, the Olympic Channel and beIN MEDIA GROUP today announced a new partnership which begins today, 4 September with programming blocks leading to the launch of a 24/7 linear channel on 1 November across 24 MENA territories.
Under the "Olympic Channel" brand, the partnership begins with a daily eight-hour programming block on beIN Sports’ free-to-air channel featuring an exclusive preview show today, 4 September, providing viewers with a glimpse of some of the exciting stories they can expect.
For two months, the branded programming hours will feature robust Olympic related content whilst promoting the 24/7 linear channel, which will launch on 1 November 2017 and will offer year-round coverage of Olympic sports and athletes and their quest for success, on a subscription basis.
Highlighting the programming on the new co-branded "beIN Sports Home of the Olympic Channel" television network will be live, comprehensive coverage of the upcoming Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 which amplifies beIN’s rights-holding broadcast agreement with the IOC for the Olympic Games.
"We are excited to collaborate with beIN MEDIA GROUP to deliver the Olympic Channel experience to their audiences throughout this important and growing region, bringing them closer to the Olympic Movement all year round," said Mark Parkman, General Manager of the IOC’s global Olympic Channel. "Our partnership with beIN to create a co-branded linear platform gives us a powerful position in MENA to further engage fans and new audiences with the Olympic Channel brand and the Olympic Games than ever before."
"beIN is passionate about sports. We are constantly collaborating with our global partners to present sports to our subscribers in high quality. The Olympic Channel debut in MENA beIN network demonstrates that beIN is the only premium destination for sports lovers in the region." said Yousef Al-Obaidly, Deputy CEO of beIN MEDIA GROUP.
Further programming will include live broadcasts from beIN’s extensive sports media rights agreements, original series produced by the global Olympic Channel, access to archival footage from the IOC’s vast library, and additional news and highlights.
The new partnership complements the Olympic Channel, which launched as a worldwide digital platform following the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games Rio 2016. In efforts to expand its offerings, and in partnership with its rights-holding broadcast partners and National Olympic Committees, the Olympic Channel is developing localised versions that offer region- and language-specific user experiences on linear and digital platforms in certain territories.
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About the Olympic Channel
The Olympic Channel is a multi-platform destination where fans can discover, engage and share in the power of sport and the excitement of the Olympic Games all year round. Offering original programming, news, live sports events and highlights, the Olympic Channel provides additional exposure for sports and athletes 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in 11 languages. The Olympic Channel was launched in August 2016 in support of the IOC’s goal, set out in Olympic Agenda 2020, of providing a new way to engage younger generations, fans and new audiences with the Olympic Movement. Founding Partners supporting the Olympic Channel are Worldwide TOP Partners Bridgestone, Toyota and Alibaba. The Olympic Channel is available worldwide via mobile apps for Android and iOS devices and at olympicchannel.com.
About beIN MEDIA GROUP and beIN MENA
beIN MEDIA GROUP, chaired by Nasser AL-KHELAIFI, is an independent company established in 2014, and the owner of beIN, the leading sport and entertainment global network. beIN is now distributed across 43 countries within Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, Turkey, Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Aside from building the beIN SPORTS premium network, beIN MEDIA GROUP is expanding beyond sports into entertainment through production and distribution as well as in the digital space. In November 2015, a new platform was launched in MENA including 29 beIN owned channels with 20 related to sports, 4 to movies, 4 to kids and 1 to series, in addition to growing numbers of third party channels. In March 2016, beIN MEDIA GROUP acquired MIRAMAX film studios offering movie production capabilities and a library of over 700 films. beIN MEDIA GROUP acquired Digiturk the leading PAY TV operator in Turkey, in August 2016. beIN MENA is a multi-genre platform providing exclusive access to prime sporting competitions including: Olympics, FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, football leagues from Europe including Spain’s La Liga, England’s Premier League, Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1, German’s League Bundesliga, UEFA Europa League, FIFA Confederation Cup, Copa America; Africa Cup of Nations, CAF Champions League, AFC Champions League, AFC Cup, AFC Asian Cup 2019. Among the world’s other most popular sports, tennis (including Roland Garros, US Open, Australian open and Wimbledon as well as the ATP Masters series), basketball (NBA), motorsports (Dakar Rally, NASCAR, Formula1), cycling (Tour de France), rugby (Six Nations) and many more including NFL, MLB and athletics also broadcast by beIN. beIN MENA also offers complete spectrum of entertainment including blockbuster movies, series and best kids programs through acquiring several exclusive channels like Jeep & Baraem. Stunning local and global entertainment besides best in class sports events all delivered through state of art technology.
Social media
For more information, please follow the Olympic Channel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, or log on to olympicchannel.com.
Editor’s Note
Logo below presented in both Arabic and English
Media Contacts
Olympic Channel
Catherine Philbin
catherine.philbin@olympicchannel.com
beIN MEDIA GROUP
beIN Media Office
Email: mediaoffice@bein.net
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