Saudi Telecom signs $1.8b MoU to broadcast Saudi soccer

DUBAI

State-run Saudi Telecom has signed a tentative deal with the government’s General Sports Authority to broadcast Saudi professional soccer matches over 10 years for 6.6 billion riyals ($1.8 billion), the authority said on Tuesday.

The deal appears to take rights to broadcast Saudi soccer away from regional broadcaster MBC group, which in July 2014 signed a 4.1 billion riyal, 10-year deal to obtain them. Saudi Arabian businessman Waleed Al Ebrahim, who has management control of MBC, was detained for nearly three months in a sweeping crackdown on corruption and released late last month.