Doha: The arrival of Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain helped beIN Sports MENA gain a whopping +76% rise in viewership of October 24th’s ‘Le Classique’. This 2021/22 campaign has already seen a rise in interest in the French top flight after the 6-time Ballon d’Or winner arrived in the French capital this summer.
The Premier League has also recorded stellar viewerships linked to superstars. The clash between Manchester United and Liverpool saw a growth of +111% on the same fixture last season. 28 million viewers tuned in to a fixture which saw one of the greatest players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo take on a player in the form of his life in Mohammed Salah - an icon across the region.
Mohammad Al Subaie, CEO of beIN MENA said: “We are delighted with the rise in viewership for Le Classique and Manchester United vs Liverpool. beIN Sports is a platform to showcase the biggest events in the world to the MENA audience and these are two of the biggest rivalries in world football.
“It’s clear to see what the arrival of Lionel Messi to Ligue 1 has done for the growth in audiences for the league in our region. To gain a rise of 76% in viewership for the fixture further demonstrates the additional star power Messi brings.
“The Premier League showcased two of the biggest players in world football on October 24 with Cristiano Ronaldo facing Mohamed Salah – two giants of world football. 28 million viewers tuned into the fixture with us on beIN Sports MENA. The largest audience of the day for the leading fixture in England.”
beIN Sports is the home of live sport in the MENA region. The expansive portfolio includes the FIFA World Cup until 2030, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League until 2024 - including rights to UEFA Women Champions League, a core property under beIN’s beINSPIRED initiative - Ligue 1 until 2024, LaLiga until 2024, the Olympics and Wimbledon under long term agreements, and many more.
Significantly, all these deals with major rights-holders have been secured on a pan-regional basis covering the region.
