GCC channels to beam Gulf Cup action live

The Dubai and Abu Dhabi sports channels have decided to sell the rights of telecasting the 18th Gulf Cup games to GCC channels who will beam the games live.

The announcement was made by Ahmad Al Shaikh, the Dubai Sports channel manager. Al Shaikh said that the Dubai and Abu Dhabi sports channels did not want to hold a monopoly on the telecast of Gulf Cup games.

The two channels wanted to ensure that all GCC countries received a live feed of the Gulf Cup action. Al Shaikh added that the organisers would negotiate the cost of live telecasts with those countries who were prepared to buy it.

Last year, the UAE Football Association sold the telecast rights of the Gulf Cup games for a reported figure of around $10 million. The company in turn sold it to the Dubai and Abu Dhabi sports channels who will now sell it to GCC sports channels.