Eleven acquires AFC rights in 6 new markets
October 6, 2021
The Eleven Group is set to launch in multiple territories across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, with a D2C service at the heart of the project.
By 2022, Eleven will be delivering for fans in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brunei Darussalam, and the Philippines with plans to expand further in the near future.
Eleven will launch with a collection of Asian Football Confederation rights. Eleven’s offering will include the remaining AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to Qatar matches for the territories of Hong Kong and Thailand in 2021. From 2022-24 the deal will extend to cover broadcast rights for all AFC competitions across all Eleven´s Southeast Asian territories, with the exception of Indonesia. Eleven will be rapidly expanding its content portfolio with a focus on local and locally relevant rights.
An OTT first approach will be employed by Eleven in all territories. Each local service will be powered by the Group´s global ElevenSports.com platform and its pioneering, proprietary streaming technology. D2C distribution will be complemented by partnerships with local linear operators to make content as accessible to fans as possible.
Eleven’s offering will be tailored to each market. Local teams will be installed in core territories, with Eleven´s Southeast Asia operations headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Local commentary teams and on-screen talent will be recruited to engage viewers with authentic and impactful programming. Team Whistle, the US sports media and entertainment company acquired by the Eleven Group in May 2021, will bring its production capabilities to the new network of platforms.
Guillaume Collard, Eleven Group Chief Rights Acquisitions Officer, said: “We’re delighted to be launching in Southeast Asia with a compelling package of AFC rights. Our plan is to build a network of services that are local, accessible and available to fans wherever and however they want to consume their favourite sport and entertainment. Our AFC rights give us a great platform to grow from, as we work to serve audiences in the region in a fresh and dynamic way.”
Marc Watson, Eleven Group Executive Chairman, added: “The Eleven Group has been growing rapidly over recent months. Our mix of sports and entertainment content attracts over 4billion views each month and we want to continue building and innovating our offering to deliver for more fans than ever around the world. Our expansion into multiple markets in Southeast Asia is an important step in delivering on that ambition. We will use the capabilities we have in our Team Whistle division to produce extra digital content to appeal to younger fans and complement our live matches, making our coverage of AFC the most compelling sports product in the region.”