beIN SPORTS North America names Rita Herring new Managing Director

beIN SPORTS North America marked its 13th anniversary this year, celebrating more than a decade of delivering premium international sports content and building one of the most loyal soccer audiences in the USA and Canada.

The milestone comes at an exciting moment of transition, as the network announces the appointment of Rita Herring as Managing Director of beIN SPORTS North America. Herring will succeed Antonio Briceño, who will assume a new short-term role as Senior Advisor to the beIN Media Group Chief Executive Officer. Briceño has been with beIN SPORTS North America since its inception, guiding the business on its journey of being a new entrant in a highly competitive market to becoming a multi-platform service across USA and Canada.

Herring brings more than 20 years of experience leading global content distribution and partnerships at TelevisaUnivision, ViacomCBS, and Telemundo, where she helped launch streaming platforms including Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Her expertise in multiplatform content distribution and direct-to-consumer strategies will be invaluable as beIN SPORTS expands its offering in the USA and Canada into new digital and streaming markets.

“beIN SPORTS North America has a world-class portfolio of live sports rights and serves a very passionate base of committed sports fans in the USA and Canada. I am delighted to join at a time when the business, and wider group, is focused on growing its reach and strengthening its overall offer. We have some fantastic tournaments coming up and we are committed to delivering the premium sports experience our fans enjoy at beIN,” commented Rita Herring, Managing Director of beIN SPORTS USA.

“I am delighted to welcome Rita to our North American business. beIN continues to stand out for the breadth and quality of properties we bring to fans, and I have the utmost confidence in Rita to drive forward a new, inspiring experience that will continue to excite all our fans and followers across USA and Canada. We are deeply grateful to Antonio for his loyal and dedicated service over the past 13 years, and we wish him every success as he takes on his new endeavours,” says Yousef Al-Obaidly, Group CEO of beIN Media Group.

EXPANDING THE REACH OF BEIN SPORTS

beIN SPORTS is advancing its North America distribution to meet fans where they are. The business is deepening affiliate partnerships and expanding its Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) footprint while introducing additional access points across platforms and devices.

The network remains a trusted destination for premium sports coverage across the USA and Canada, supported by long-standing relationships with a range of distribution partners – including Charter, Dish, Verizon, Altice, YouTubeTV, Fubo and many others.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS & BROADCASTING COVERAGE

beIN SPORTS North America now holds one of the most diverse international sports portfolios in North America, with 20+ global properties spanning elite soccer, Olympic disciplines, and combat sports. This includes Ligue 1, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Recopa, Turkish Süper Lig, and CAF competitions such as the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which brings inspiring stories from African football to U.S. audiences.Recent acquisitions reflect this breadth, from the Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup) and Polish Ekstraklasa to emerging combat sports like XFC MMA, Brave MMA, ONE FC MMA and Lux Challenge.

The network also showcases Olympic sports including the FIBA 3×3 World Tour, World Rowing, Sail GP, World Surf League, Canoeing, Kayaking and Taekwondo.

A MARKET-LEADING SOCCER FOUNDATION WITHIN A BROADER SPORTS PORTFOLIO

In 2024, beIN SPORTS led the USA market in live soccer minutes with a 43% share, according to Nielsen, with 19% on beIN SPORTS and 24% on beIN SPORTS en Español. Programming bridges weekend European leagues with weekday Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana, serving the most diverse Hispanic audience and the largest non-Mexican multicultural audience in the USA.

As the exclusive U.S. home of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), beIN is preparing for one of its most popular broadcasts, AFCON 2025, at the end of this year. Its broadcast will bring inspiring stories from African football, in collaboration with digital and social media partners, to audiences based in the Americas, bringing to life one of the most exciting global tournaments.

beIN offers a great soccer coverage to fans in the region:

-6,200+ hours of Ligue 1 coverage per season, including every match of UEFA 2024/25 Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.

-5,500+ hours of AFCON and CAF coverage per season.

-6,000+ hours of CONMEBOL competitions per season.

At the same time, beIN SPORTS’ growing slate of Olympic and combat sports is expanding its reach to new fan communities, offering year-round live coverage that builds excitement to the four-yearly pinnacle of sports competition.

DIGITAL GROWTH & INNOVATION

beIN SPORTS’ digital footprint now exceeds 8.5 million followers across platforms including:

-5.1 million followers on Facebook.

-1.2 million followers on TikTok.

-945,000 subscribers on YouTube.

-852,000 followers on Instagram.

-424,000 followers on X.

beIN SPORTS North America has recently partnered with Paris Saint-Germain to bring an immersive VR experience to audiences in the USA, reaching over 7 million PSG social followers and supporting nine PSG Academies training more than 2,200 players nationwide.