Bidding opens for next Turkish Super Lig rights deals

The Turkish Super Lig launched a tender on the next batch of broadcasting rights for the league. Currently, Qatar-owned TV company beIN SPORTS owns the broadcast deal for the Turkish Super Lig. beIN has owned the rights for this season and the previous one. In that deal, beIN paid the Turkish Super Lig $127.88 million. Originally, the Turkish Super Lig wanted more. However, an anti-beIN campaign from Fenerbahce fans brought the price down. Those supporters claimed beIN had a say in VAR decisions.

Now, the Turkish Super Lig will hunt for more money in a new deal. beIN SPORTS remains in the hunt, if not the frontrunner, to land the new batch. Yet, it may face the task of paying more for the rights to the league. The Turkish Football Federation wants the new cycle of worldwide TV rights to be a smoother bargaining process that ultimately leads to higher fees.

Across the world, rights holders are paying more for leagues than ever before. Here in the United States, NBC paid $2.7 billion in its new six-year deal to broadcast the Premier League. Apple is paying Major League Soccer $250 million per season in a 10-year deal to be the global streaming home of the league. Like that deal, the upcoming Turkish deal will be a global offer. However, different from MLS, the Turkish Super Lig will not command rights fees that high.

The deal with the Turkish Super Lig will last for three seasons. That starts with the 2024/25 campaign. In accordance with the Turkish Super Lig, the sealed bids and negotiations will start as soon as broadcasters start expressing interest in the league. The Turkish Football Federation will set up a ‘tender commission’ to deal with the negotiation process with new and existing bidders.

New Turkish Super Lig rights

Not only does the TV rights deal pertain to the Super Lig. It also includes the 1st Division. Ironically, that is the second tier in the Turkish pyramid. In the United States, beIN does not regularly broadcast games from the second division. Despite the testy relationship between beIN and the Turkish Super Lig, the broadcaster puts second-division games on TV in Turkey so those fans can watch.

However, the likes of Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are the main draws of the rights deal with the Turkish Football Federation. Those two clubs present one of the biggest derbies in soccer. Their success in Turkey has expanded into Europe. Galatasaray played several exciting games in the UEFA Champions League against Bayern Munich, Copenhagen and Manchester United. Galatasaray finished above United in that group to keep its European season alive in the Europa League. Meanwhile, Fenerbahce finished atop its Europa Conference League group.

Even if someone is only watching for Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, their heated derbies are must-watch TV.

beIN SPORTS in the United States

If beIN SPORTS maintains the rights for the next three-year cycle, American fans will at least know where to watch the Turkish Super Lig. The channel is available in different locations, including Fubo and Fanatiz. The latter is the more affordable of the two options to get beIN SPORTS.

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