ExclusiveLigue 1 Conforama TV rights: "We will come back in the next cycle" (Y. Al-Obaidly, beIN Sports)

"Ligue 1 will be off our channels for a short-term (2020-2024 cycle), but we will come back in the next cycle in a much stronger position to make a rational bid for those rights, and other rights," said Yousef Al-Obaidly, president of beIN Sports France and CEO of beIN Media Group, to News Tank Football on 26/02/2020.

"Media reports of beIN Sports intending to leave France couldn't be further from the truth. It is the exact opposite, actually. This deal with Canal+ (see below) secures our long-term future within France and makes us far stronger than the position we were in before this deal. This is because, firstly, we have greater certainty of distribution now in France, and secondly we will have greater financial certainty; the combination of which puts us in a much better position as a business," said the president of beIN Sports France.

"While we're a major broadcaster in France, it's frustrating sometimes to be asked 'Are we here or are we not here?'. By way of comparison, in the UK, Sky bases almost its entire sports business on the Premier League, Formula 1 and cricket. Only…