A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Doha, according to Rapid TV News, and although terms have not been disclosed the payment is believed to be well in excess of $1 billion.
Under the deal Al Jazeera Sport will take over ART’s existing sports contracts and becoming the exclusive provider of sports content for ART’s Arab Digital Distribution platform. There are questions however as to whether the Jordanian, Syrian and Sudanese leagues are part of the transfer.
Al Jazeera currently holds the exclusive rights in the region for major sports events such as the Italian Serie A, the UEFA Champions League and French Open tennis. The new deal is expected to make Al Jazeera the exclusive regional rights-holder of next year’s World Cup in South Africa.
A formal contract will be signed when ART’s owner Sheikh Salah Kamel returns from Germany, where he is undergoing medical treatment.
