On Thursday, November 9, 2023, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) declared its renewed partnership with beIN Sports, a media group based in Qatar.
The two parties have been under contract for 12 years at a total value of $415 million (£333 million) since 2017, making this the largest television deal in CAF history.
On September 1, 2023, CAF unilaterally ended its contract with its Qatari partners, accusing the broadcasters of breaching their contract because they were owed nearly $100 million (£80 million) by the Qatari media group.
The two parties have been recommitted, coinciding with a report during the cancellation of the contract, which indicated that beIN Sports stated it would “take all necessary legal steps to challenge and overturn” the cancellation and that “the door is open” for talks.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced last Thursday that it is delighted to recommit to its partnership with beIN after the parties reached an agreement on the issues that had been a source of contention.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of beIN held discussions that resulted in the re-establishment of a mutually beneficial partnership between the parties.
The association’s president, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, stated that they are committed to developing mutually beneficial relationships with all of their sponsors.
”CAF is deeply committed to promoting and advancing the interests of all its sponsors and partners and building mutually beneficial relationships with them and with all our stakeholders. Adherence to good governance, ethics, and global best practices is an essential and crucial part of the culture and the manner in which CAF operates and conducts its business,” Dr. Motsepe indicated.
The president highlighted the continent’s potential to compete globally in football while also achieving self-sustainability for future competitions.
He stated, “In order for football in Africa to be globally competitive and self-supporting, the quality of African football must be world-class and appealing to football spectators, sponsors, and partners.”
