Algerian TV stumbles in negotiations with Al Jazeera over African Cup of Nations TV rights

The Algerian people will not have the opportunity to follow the entire African Cup of Nations tournament on their TV sets, as the exclusive rights’ holder in the Arab zone, Al Jazeera, has granted permission for the Algerian TV to broadcast 10 matches only.

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• Reliable sources revealed that the Algerian TV will pay $10 million for the transmission of 10 matches according to the following agreement: 7 matches during the first round of the competition, 1 during the quarters, 1 in the semi finals and the last match of the final.
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• Many have criticized the way with which the Algerian TV managers have conducted the negotiations with the Qatar- based TV channel and considered that that they could paid less than that if they knew how to deal with their Qatari counterparts.
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• This view’s advocates have argued that the Arab TV’s owners have shifted their interests towards the Algerian public after the latest national squad’s achievements that pushed the major international TVs to spot the lights on it again.
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• Some exerts have noted that the negotiators could have used the Algerian squad’s latest results and their comeback on the international scene to weigh on the balance in the negotiations with Al Jazeera sport and clinch a better deal.
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• In a telephone call the head of Al Jazeera sport Nacer Al Khellaifi has yesterday announced that his channel and the Algerian TV have reached a deal” I would like to announce that we have completed negotiations with the Algerian TV during the last few hours and convened to broadcast 10 matches during this competition including the final.. I’m happy for this end because the Algerian people have got a special place in our heart”.
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• On the other hand, he declined to disclose the real value of the contract signed between the two parties considering the matter top secret. But he denied some Egyptian allegations saying that Al Jazeera has favored the Algerian TV in comparison to other Arab TVs.
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• The manager has declared that his channel put all the parties at the same footing. M Al khellaifi has indicated that the Egyptian TV has acquired the same number of matches for the same price as the one paid by the Algerian TV, while negotiations with the Tunisian TV are still underway.