AFC and Sport 24 in extension through 2028-29

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) regional governing body has unveiled a lengthy renewal of its in-flight and at-sea broadcast partnership with Sport 24.

The airline and cruise-line broadcast service, owned by global sports agency IMG, will continue to cover AFC competitions through the 2028-29 season, via a deal unveiled today.

The current deal between the two organisations, struck in September 2021, runs out at the end of the ongoing 2024-25 campaign.

Specifically, competitions covered include Asian Zone qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup (the qualification process is already underway), the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup, as well as all seasons of the clubs’ AFC Champions League Elite during the deal’s timeframe.

Datuk Seri Windsor John, general secretary of the AFC, has said: “The AFC is delighted to extend its partnership with Sport 24, which will showcase not only the ever-improving quality of the AFC’s competitions but also expand the reach of Asian football to more audiences.”

In terms of AFC media rights deals, in September the confederation brought on board BG Sports as a YouTube broadcast partner in Thailand for the next five years.

IMG’s senior vice president of content and channels, Richard Wise, added: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with the AFC to bring its world-class competitions to our global audiences for the next five years.”

Other soccer properties with rights in the Sport 24 stable include Europe’s UEFA Champions League, and England’s top-tier Premier League.

Across other sports, meanwhile, in late October a significant extension between Sport 24 and US basketball’s elite NBA was announced.

Sport 24 is now showcasing more than 125 live games per season over the span of a multi-year deal.

Overall, Sport 24 (which also shows motor racing’s Formula 1 and golf’s PGA Tour) can be viewed across over 600 aircraft and over 120 cruise ships. Sportcal