beIN SPORTS

beIN SPORTS is one of the channels that almost entirely dedicates itself to soccer coverage.

In the past, the English-language channel that’s available in the United States pulled in most of its viewers via their coverage of LaLiga. LaLiga first appeared on the channel in 2012 after acquiring the rights, only losing them after the 2020/21 season. In that time, beIN SPORTS had the privilege of broadcasting Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in their prime.

In fact, the channel pulled in almost one million viewers in their final El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Remember, this game did not even feature Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet, it remained the most-viewed derby fixture since 2017.

In addition to LaLiga coverage, the channel made a name for itself with its international coverage. beIN SPORTS is not solely an American channel. Moreover, they provide much more of an international focus. Much of that attention goes to France, where beIN found their footing. Overall, the channel broadcasts soccer games in 35 countries on three continents.

beIN SPORTS started after Al Jazeera bought a package of Ligue Un games to broadcast in France. That only happened in June 2011, meaning the channel quickly grew into one of the major soccer broadcasters in the world.

Much of the channel’s content revolves around soccer, but it reaches other markets as well. For example, motorsports, tennis, cricket and international basketball all appear on the channel frequently.

Still, the channel built itself on soccer and still intends to broadcast that in the United States. Therefore, the leagues and tournaments provided are essential to know.

beIN SPORTS soccer coverage in the U.S.

As mentioned previously, the biggest draw for the channel in the United States was LaLiga. Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico pulled in millions of viewers throughout the season.

With ESPN acquiring the rights to the league prior to the 2021/22 season, the channel needed a new draw.

Fortunately for beIN SPORTS, Lionel Messi, who appeared on the channel for years, made the switch over to PSG. The channel already held coverage of the French Ligue Un, but now there was legitimate reason to watch.

So, in terms of what you can find on the channel, let’s start with league play.

Ligue Un, featuring PSG, Lyon and LOSC Lille, is the primary league found on the channel. Additionally, the Turking Super Lig with Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş provides intense games each week. The Spanish LaLiga made up the third leg of their triumvirate, but that now belongs to ESPN.

Another big draw for the channel is their coverage of South American soccer. The CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores pits South America’s best club teams against each other. Likewise, beIN broadcasts the Copa Sudamericana, the Europa League equivalent on the continent. While there are less household names, the passion and drama are as prominent, if not more so, compared to Europe.

The channel is available via most streaming services including fuboTV, Sling World Sports, YouTube TV and others. On television, the broadcaster is no longer available on DirecTV but is available on DISH Network.