German soccer’s Bundesliga has secured a major new broadcast deal in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), announcing a three-year agreement with MBC Group, the Saudi-owned media giant. The deal makes MBC the league’s official media partner in the region, succeeding BeIN Sports.
Under the partnership, all Bundesliga matches will stream live on Shahid, MBC’s digital platform, while three matches per week will air on MBC Action, the free-to-air sports channel. The season-opening match between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig will also be shown on flagship channel MBC1, highlighting the broadcaster’s commitment to bringing German football to a mass audience.
The agreement extends beyond broadcast rights, including joint marketing and promotion strategies designed to accelerate the Bundesliga’s regional footprint. Peer Naubert, CEO of Bundesliga International, emphasized the importance of the MENA market, particularly given its fast-growing football fandom and rising female fanbase. “MBC’s phenomenal reach and position as a media and entertainment superpower will ensure that together we deliver the best of the Bundesliga day-in and day-out,” he said.
MBC CEO Mike Sneesby added that the partnership will involve technical expertise sharing, promotional campaigns, and cross-platform collaborations, aligning with MBC’s strategy to expand access to top-tier global sports across the Arab world.
The move marks a significant shift in Bundesliga distribution in MENA, following BeIN Sports’ exclusive rights tenure from 2022 to 2025. The new cycle represents a broader global rights reshuffle for the Bundesliga, which has also announced new broadcast mixes in the UK, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Southern Europe, alongside a $1.17 billion-per-season domestic deal split between Sky Deutschland and DAZN.
With these partnerships, the Bundesliga continues to strengthen its global presence ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, aiming to balance pay-TV, OTT, and free-to-air distribution to reach the widest possible fan base.
