26 Ocak 2022-The tender process for domestic and international rights to the Turkish Süper Lig has been launched with the domestic rights split into six different packages.

The sales process for rights from 2022-23 onwards has been initiated by the Turkish Football Federation, in association with the Turkish Clubs Association, and with the IMG agency working in an advisory capacity.

Domestic and international rights are currently held by beIN Media Group in a five-season deal, from 2017-18 to 2021-22. It exploits the rights both domestically and internationally via its Turkish pay-television operator Digiturk.

The ITT, which takes place against the ongoing threat of piracy of Turkish matches, invites bidders to submit offers across six different domestic packages of rights to the top-tier Süper Lig and second-tier 1. Lig.

International rights are contained in Package 2, while international betting streaming and data rights make up Package 3. A final package, Package 4, comprises global rights in one all-encompassing offering.

Interested entities must submit their first-round offers by 2pm (local time) on February 14.

 SportBusiness understands that the domestic rights packages have been split up as follows:

• Package 1A: First-pick and third-pick matches, plus fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth picks
• Package 1B: Second-pick and fourth-pick matches
• Package 1C: Rights to a minimum of three rounds of midweek matches
• Package 1D: Live rights to 1. Lig matches and Süper Lig highlights
• Package 1E: Digital clips rights of two minutes per match shown 45 minutes after final whistle
• Package 1F: Radio rights
•  A minimum of three Süper Lig matches per week will be provided via the international signal for rights buyers worldwide. 
•  It is also understood that bidders can submit offers for three (2022-23 to 2024-25) or five seasons (2022-23 to 2026-27). Bidders for the extended period would be expected to place a significant premium on the opportunity to land a five-season contract in order to be successful. 
•  The total number of matches played in the Turkish top flight will reduce next season as the league contracts from 20 to 19 teams.
•  Given the nature of IMG’s role as advisor, the Endeavor-owned agency will not be able to bid for any packages.
• The all-inclusive Package 4 is thought to have been devised with beIN in mind given the nature of the broadcaster’s current deal. Along with the domestic and international rights, beIN also holds the betting and league sponsorship rights. 
• Under the current rights structure, beIN sublicenses live free-to-air 1. Lig rights and Süper Lig highlights to TRT, the public broadcaster in Turkey.
•  The TFF and beIN have had a tumultuous relationship since first agreeing to a deal worth $500m (€442m) per season in 2016, a deal that runs until the end of the current season. The agreement has undergone several amendments since beIN beat telco Turkcell to the rights during the last auction. The alterations have been largely attributed to the fierce depreciation and fluctuation between the Turkish Lira and US Dollar.
•  The latest change to the agreement came in 2020 as beIN agreed to temporarily increase its fee for the 2020-21 season as a number of Turkish clubs struggled financially due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Piracy threat, international rights
• The launch of the new tender comes with piracy continuing to threaten the value of the league’s rights and, in particular, the level of beIN’s bid. Last year, beIN opted against bidding to retain its Uefa Champions League and Europa League rights, in part due to the high levels of piracy in Turkey and the general downturn in the value of premium sports rights deals.
•  However, new legislation that gives more powers to block illegal broadcasts will leave the Turkish football authorities and IMG feeling emboldened as they head into the auction. A draft law submitted to the Turkish parliament was put forward to allow authorities to block internet platforms broadcasting matches illegally.
•  Last season, Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe began to protest against beIN, using advertising hoardings at its home matches to carry anti-beIN messaging. The broadcaster was subsequently handed an emergency injunction to prevent this unauthorised infringement of its intellectual property.
•  Speaking just under a year ago, TFF president Nihat Özdemir said that his preference was to continue with beIN but that it was important to “organise a tender that will please the clubs at the maximum level”. Sadettin Saran, the president of Saran Group, the Turkey-based media entity, previously stated his intention to compete for the rights.
• During the current cycle, beIN has also sold the international rights to the league in markets in which the broadcaster does not operate.
•  Before that, coverage of the league had been targeted solely at Turkish expatriates with Digiturk’s international subscribers able to watch matches via their set-top boxes. Digiturk also sold carriage of its Lig TV channels to pay-television operators in international markets. Interest in the league is particularly strong in Germany given the high ex-patriate population.
•  In 2020, the Süper Lig netted live coverage in the UK and Ireland in a deal between beIN and pay-television broadcaster BT Sport. It marked the first time that the competition had been broadcast with English-language commentary in the countries.
•  Sponsorship rights to the Turkish league competitions are to be sold after the media rights process has been carried out, SportBusiness understands.{jcomments on}     
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