beIN Sport USA soccer channel comes to Comcast, DirecTV and Dish Network
While most of us have spent the last few weeks preparing for the return of North American-style football (get our NFL Pick 'Em league info here), soccer fans in the US and France have been tracking the sudden rise of international TV network beIN Sport. Operated out of Qatar by Al Jazeera, beIN Sport USA has snagged the exclusive broadcast rights to Spain's La Liga, Italy's Serie A, France's Ligue 1, South American World Cup Qualifiers and Copa America 2015, plus the away games for the US national men's team in their qualifying rounds. The bad news for those interested in viewing the games is that until just recently, there were no carriers for the channel, although DirecTV (which also recently added BBC America HD for Doctor Who fans) and Dish have subsequently added it to a few tiers. Most recently, Comcast announced the channel's availability on its Spanish MultiLatino package and for English viewers on the Xfinity TV Sports Entertainment lineup, with access also available via internet streaming. It appears Fox and ESPN have a new challenger at least for broadcast rights to soccer, and beIN Sport has expressed interest into other arenas as well, which could see it become a newer version of the now-defunct Worldsport HD channel for fans of sports that are more popular outside the US.
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Comcast To Carry SPORT, America's Only 24-Hour International Sports Network
Xfinity TV Customers to Receive Network on TV, On Demand, Online and on Mobile Devices
MIAMI, Aug. 23, 2012 – beIN SPORT, the new independent 24-hour global network dedicated to live and exclusive coverage of the world's best international sports, today announced it will be carried on Xfinity TV by Comcast, one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information, and communications products and services.
Among the exciting sports programming that Xfinity TV customers can only find on beIN SPORT is coverage of all the top soccer leagues and tournaments from Europe and South America, including games from Spain's La Liga, Italy's Serie A, France's Ligue 1, South American World Cup Qualifiers and Copa America 2015. The network will also carry the away games for the U.S. men's national soccer team in the qualifying rounds of the 2014 World Cup.
Adding to Comcast's leadership in offering the most live sports on television and online, beIN SPORT will be available in Spanish on the Xfinity TV MultiLatino Package and in English on the Xfinity TV Sports Entertainment Package. Availability of both channels will vary by market. In addition to its linear TV networks, select beIN SPORT content will be available on demand via Comcast's Xfinity On Demand platform. Live matches carried on beIN SPORT's linear networks, along with additional live matches, will also be available to authenticated Comcast Xfinity TV customers via Comcast's online and mobile TV Everywhere platforms.
"beIN SPORT lets viewers be in the game and feel they can be in the international sports community. This is original and exclusive programming fans are clamoring for on one destination channel," said Yousef Al Obaidly, managing director of beIN SPORT. "We have more live games from each league that are exclusive to our network than any other content provider. Once Comcast's Xfinity TV customers experience beIN SPORT, we know they will be thrilled with the electrifying stars and unmatched play of international competition."
About beIN SPORT
beIN SPORT, the English-language 24/7 international sports network, is the multi-platform sports destination that brings to the passionate fan all the live game action, news and analysis of the top leagues around the planet, as well as exclusive and never available-before content. From American, European and Latin American live games to general sports news and in-depth analysis, beIN SPORT guarantees first row access to top leagues and major sports properties through TV, on-line and mobile platforms with games that can't be seen on any other channel. For more information, please visit www.beinsport.tv and follow us on Twitter @beINSport1USA for breaking news and real-time updates.
