AFC media deal with Eleven ends, FMA re-tenders key rights across six markets

January 11 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has cut short its broadcast deal with Eleven Sports Network following a restructure of Eleven’s business in the region.
Eleven was the AFC’s principal partner in Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Now both “parties have agreed that alternative platform(s) for the AFC competitions will best serve football fans in the region,” said the AFC.

Football Marketing Asia Limited (FMA) is the AFC’s exclusive commercial partner for the 2021-2024 and 2025-2028 rights cycles. The Eleven deal was for the first of those cycles and included the blue riband AFC Asian Cup final tournament that will now be played in early 2024 in Qatar.

Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand have all qualified for the finals.

Eleven secured a package of Asian football rights from the AFC to spearhead the launch of its channels into the south-east Asian territories in May 2021, saying it would build OTT platforms in the countries by 2022, with its D2C (direct to consumer) offering complemented by local linear distribution deals.

With Eleven exiting, FMA have an opportunity to resell premium regional rights that also include the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and two seasons of the Champions League in advance of what is a significant restructuring of the AFC’s club competitions from the 2024-25 season.

Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1711727497labto1711727497ofdlr1711727497owedi1711727497sni@n1711727497osloh1711727497cin.l1711727497uap1711727497


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