‘Pinch-me moment’: Kaylyn Kyle on becoming beIN SPORTS’ new English-language lead

Dubai: Former Canadian international footballer Kaylyn Kyle has described taking on her new role as beIN SPORTS’ Executive Presenter as a “pinch-me moment,” after becoming the face of the network’s English-language football coverage across the Middle East and North Africa.

Kyle, who is based in Doha, is now fronting studio programming across beIN SPORTS’ extensive football rights portfolio, having made her debut on August 29 when she presented the Premier League fixture between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool.

The appointment represents a return to beIN SPORTS for Kyle, who previously featured as part of the network’s coverage during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

She arrives in Doha after four years with Major League Soccer’s broadcast team, adding to a media career built on more than a decade of experience as a professional footballer.

“It’s kind of a pinch-me moment," explained Kyle when asked about her new role.

“Coming in as the main lead host after Richard (Keys) and Andy (Gray), I know those are some big shoes to fill. I was lucky enough to work with them in 2022, and they really guided me along the way and embraced me with open arms.”

Kyle has been forced to quickly settled into life in Qatar since taking up the role, describing her experience in the country as “incredible” and praising the culture and people.

She revealed that her children have also quickly embraced their new home, with her family enjoying their new life in the Middle East.

“It’s honestly incredible,” she said

“It’s the cleanest country I’ve ever been to, the safest feeling country I’ve ever stepped foot in and my kids absolutely love it.”

Having experienced beIN SPORTS first-hand during the 2022 World Cup, Kyle already knew what the network was about before making her return.

But it was the freedom she was given to be herself that ultimately made the opportunity so appealing, with Kyle keen to bring her own personality and presenting style to the role.

Her experience both on the pitch and behind the microphone has helped shape her approach to presenting, with the former Canada international now keen to bring that mix of football knowledge and personality to beIN SPORTS’ English-language coverage.

“I don’t want to change who I am,” Kyle said.

“When I was offered the contract over here, they never wanted me to change. They never wanted me to be something different. They never wanted me to fall in footsteps of other people.

“And that’s why this job was so important for me because there are companies that want to mould you or change you to become what fits in their narrative and beIN never did that to me.”

Kyle brings more than a decade of experience in professional football to the role, having enjoyed a career that saw her represent Canada over 100 times at international level.

The former midfielder played in two FIFA Women’s World Cups and the 2012 Olympic Games, where Canada won bronze, while she also won the Cyprus Women’s Cup with the national team.

Now, after several years working in the studio, Kyle says her time in broadcasting has allowed her to see the game from a very different perspective, giving her a greater understanding of what players experience both on and off the pitch.

“As a player, you kind of think you know everything because you’re the player, you’re the professional,” Kyle continued.

“Then when you step out into the media world, you see a different aspect of it.

"So, now as a broadcaster, I always do my best to see things in the eyes of the player because they’re human at the end of the day.”

Kyle’s move into broadcasting was something she had envisioned during her playing career, with the former Canada international revealing she had written down her ambitions long before she made the transition into television.

She eventually landed her first major role with beIN SPORTS in the United States after persistently asking for an opportunity.

She eventually landed her first major role with beIN SPORTS in the United States after persistently asking for an opportunity.

“It’s crazy that it’s come full circle, because I remember writing my long-term goals, ‘Work for beIN Sports,’” she said.

“I feel very proud. I feel very motivated. I feel very lucky to be able to step into this role as, you know, a Canadian blonde over here where I can bring my knowledge, I can bring my humour, I can bring my wit, and I can bring kind of my warmness to the screens.”