Yousef Al-Obaidly is a busy man. The powerful boss of BeIN Media Group chained meetings on the eve of the Champions League final, Saturday May 28 at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis). Wednesday 1er June, the BeIN Sports channel will celebrate its tenth anniversary in France, contradicting the Cassandres who made themselves heard on his arrival. At the time, Qatar, which was seeking in particular to put in place “soft power” tools, had responded favorably to the call from the Professional Football League (LFP), in search of reinforcement against Canal +.
“Everyone thought BeIN Sport would go bankrupt in a year. In reality, we are the player with the greatest longevity after Canal+, while Orange, RMC or Mediapro have failed”rejoices Yousef Al-Obaidly during an interview with World. Ten years later, the same pessimistic voices predict a withdrawal from Qatar, the day after the Football World Cup which will take place in the emirate next winter, and of which BeIN Sports is the official broadcaster for 25 countries.
“The World Cup will be visible in prime time on our channels to two thirds of the world’s population, or more than 6 billion people. It will be the most watched tournament in the world.”details the Qatari, denying any plans to withdraw. “The World Cup is just the start of our ambitions. We are here for the long term. Those who say otherwise are disconnected from this industry. Just look at our rights acquisition and buyback operations”he explains, listing his longest contracts.
Finally profitable in France
BeIN Sports owns the rights to the World Cup until 2030. In the Middle East, the group has renewed its contracts with the English Premier League and the Champions League until 2025. “We have also signed a new football contract which lasts until 2033, and another until 2028”continues Yousef Al-Obaidly, who sees himself at the head of “the biggest start-up in the world. To do what we have done in ten years, many companies would need double that”. Today, BeIN Sports is present in 43 countries.
In addition to sports rights, the Qatari bought the Miramax studios in 2016, before selling 49% to ViacomCBS in 2019. In Turkey, he launched an Internet access service. Yousef Al-Obaidly does not reveal the group’s turnover or results, which “employs 3,000 people and broadcasts in nine languages”. Does he just agree to say that BeIN Media Group is profitable in France, in Asia and the United States. It is also due to the delicate situation of the French market, where BeIN Sports has invested 1.5 billion euros in ten years and accumulated losses for years, that rumors of withdrawal have emerged.
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