German football’s Bundesliga has continued to expand its international media footprint ahead of the 2025-26 season, announcing a new three-year broadcast partnership with MBC Group, the Saudi-owned media powerhouse. This deal strengthens the league’s presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), one of the fastest-growing regions for global football fandom.
Details of the Agreement
Under the agreement, all Bundesliga matches will be available on Shahid, MBC’s streaming platform, while MBC Action, the group’s free-to-air channel, will broadcast three matches each week. The opening match of the new season between reigning champions Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig was showcased on MBC1, the flagship channel, underscoring the importance of the partnership.
In addition to live coverage, the deal incorporates a joint marketing strategy to accelerate Bundesliga’s regional reach, targeting both established and emerging fanbases. The agreement succeeds BeIN Sports, which previously held exclusive rights from 2022-23 through 2024-25.
Strategic Importance of the MENA Market
Peer Naubert, CEO of Bundesliga International, emphasized the central role of the MENA region in the league’s global expansion strategy: “As one of the fastest-growing regions for football fandom, and in particular within the female demographic, the Middle East and North Africa is central to our global growth strategy.”
Naubert highlighted that the partnership will focus on localized storytelling, leveraging MBC’s reach as a media and entertainment superpower to deliver the Bundesliga experience in culturally relevant ways.
MBC Group CEO Mike Sneesby added: “Our partnership will extend beyond broadcasting rights to also include marketing and promotion, as well as exchanging comprehensive technical expertise. This is part of our strategic objective to bring the best international sports to millions of fans across the Arab world.”
A Global Rights Push
This agreement forms part of a larger wave of Bundesliga international rights deals secured ahead of the 2025-26 season. Notable recent agreements include:
- UK & Ireland: A diversified mix involving Sky Sports (exclusive Saturday top match), Prime Video (Sunday pay-per-view), BBC iPlayer (Friday night streaming), and significant coverage on YouTube channels like The Overlapand That’s Football.
- Japan: DAZN acquiring exclusive rights for three seasons, with Abema securing free-to-air distribution.
- Asia: Viettel in Vietnam and PPTV in Thailand taking rights, expanding Bundesliga’s accessibility in Southeast Asia.
- Europe: A four-year extension with United Media across nine Southeast European territories, and a renewed partnership with Sky Italia in Italy.
Domestically, the Bundesliga struck a landmark $1.17 billion-per-season deal for 2025-29 with Sky Deutschland and DAZN, which includes live rights, highlights, and short-form content distribution.
Outlook
With its latest partnership in MENA, the Bundesliga is solidifying its position as a global property that combines traditional free-to-air distribution with streaming-led growth strategies. The deal with MBC ensures wider accessibility for fans while leveraging localized marketing to deepen engagement in one of football’s most dynamic growth regions.
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