COMESA Competition Commission fines CAF and beIN Sports Ksh.98M
The Confederation of African Football and Bein Media Group have been fined 97.6 million shillings by the COMESA competition commission for entering into uncompetitive contract.
The COMESA competition commission says the Confederation of African Football single sourced BEIN for exclusive TV rights for its competitions, which have now been terminated effective from next year.
In its ruling, the regional regulator said the tendering lacked open tendering for the award of the pay TV broadcast rights for CAF competitions resulting in a significant prevention, restriction and distortion of competition.
COMESA says the scope of the media rights under the BEIN agreements, taken in conjunction with the lack of an open tender process and the duration of the agreements was excessive and was likely to have resulted in significant distortion of competition in COMESA.
The commission ruled that all media rights awarded to BEIN pursuant to the agreements within the COMESA region shall cease on December 31st 2024.
CAF has been ordered to award all future exclusive media rights of its competitions within COMESA through an open tender.
The football federation has also been barred from entering in exclusive agreements for the exploitation of TV rights of CAF competitions for at least four years.
CAF and BEIN MEDIA group have been fined a combined 600,000 dollars, equivalent to 97.6 million shillings and have a window of 60 days to appeal the ruling.
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