OneFootball, the expanding digital soccer platform, has acquired broadcast rights to major competitions organised by the Asian Football Confederation in key European territories including the UK, Netherlands and Italy.
The agreement also includes rights in Malta and San Marino.
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The deal covers the final round of the AFC Asian qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2021 and 2022 editions of the AFC Champions League, the continent’s top clubs competition.
The broadcast deal was brokered on behalf of the AFC by Football Marketing Asia, the Hong Kong-based agency that is selling commercial rights to the competitions outside of the Middle East in the 2021-24 and 2025-28 cycles.
OneFootball will stream all matches live and also provide match highlights. Users will be able to access the content for free on the OneFootball app and website.
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The platform claims to have a monthly active user base of 85 million.
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By GlobalDataWindsor John, the AFC general secretary, said: “The AFC’s competitions continue to grow in stature and this partnership with OneFootball is testament to the ever-growing appeal of our competitions not just in Asia but across the globe.
“We are delighted to enter into this partnership with OneFootball to increase the consumption of our competitions in a region that shares the same passion for football, and we thank OneFootball for their faith and belief in the future of the game in Asia.”
Nikolaus von Doetinchem, OneFootball vice-president of OTT streaming and media rights, added: “We are extremely pleased with this partnership, which will provide new opportunities and increased awareness for AFC’s competitions in some of OneFootball’s key European markets.
“Our flexible and convenient approach to live streaming, in combination with our young and highly engaged userbase of football enthusiasts, will without a doubt benefit Asian football’s growth internationally.”
The OneFootball tie-up is the second rights deal secured by the AFC this week after an agreement with OTT streaming platform RCTI+ in the Philippines.
The AFC has secured a host of other global broadcast rights deals in recent months including with CBS in the US, Fanseat in various European countries such as France, Belgium, Portugal and Nordic territories, LaLigaSportsTV in Spain and Andorra, StarTimes in sub-Saharan Africa, and the Saudi Sports Company in the Middle Eastern country, and CSTN in the Caribbean.
