This is a milestone partnership that marks the first time beIN has distributed mixed martial arts content to its audience, reflecting the growth of the sport across the region as well as the growing fan base and demand for ONE’s dynamic content underlines.
beIN SPORTS, beIN’s flagship channel, will broadcast ONE’s international events with Arabic and English commentary in 24 areas of the MENA region. The broadcaster will also offer ONE round-up shows on its channels, in addition to dedicated social media and digital content throughout the year on beIN SPORTS platforms.
said Mohammad Al-Subaie, CEO of beIN MENA: “We are delighted to sign this agreement with ONE, a major promoter of MMA across Asia that has united fans and fighters alike under a powerful martial arts and esports banner. ONE events are a fantastic addition to our already impressive sports portfolio and underscores our ongoing commitment to bringing diverse sports to our subscribers across MENA.”
Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of Group ONE Holdings, added: “This partnership with beIN will be the catalyst for the distribution of ONE content in the Middle East and North Africa, allowing us to reach and engage live with our passionate fans here through the region’s largest sports broadcaster to step. beIN is one of the world’s leading providers of sports broadcasting and we are very proud that they have chosen to work with us and feature our unique products on their platform.”
One of the main drivers of the partnership is the demographic orientation. The Middle East and North Africa is a region with one of the most attractive demographics globally, being highly millennial and GenZ (74% under 39 years old), digitally native and well educated. ONE’s fan demographic reflects this with 71% of its fans being under the age of 442.
Martial arts participation and engagement has increased significantly in MENA in recent years. This announcement is just the latest in a series of partnerships ONE has signed, including recent agreements with Qatar Investment Authority and Media City Qatar, as the company strives to become the premier martial arts and games provider across the region.
Subscribers can now tune into beIN SPORTS PREMIUM 3 to enjoy ONE championship.
