Follow-up – Ahmed Maher: The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) have announced that the broadcasting rights for all the local competitions have been sold to the Arab Radio and Television (ART) network, Dream network and the Orbit network. EFA president Samir Zaher said that the three major Arab television networks will pay nine million EGP per year for three years to air the Egyptian league and Egyptian Cup, in addition to Egypt's friendly and official games, but insisted that the games will also be aired for free on the terrestrial Egyptian channels. Zaher, who didn't disclose how the revenue will be distributed over the Egyptian clubs, said that they signed an initial agreement with the networks and that they will put pen to paper after meeting with Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU) officials. The EFA first-man also insisted that Egyptian football in general would benefit from broadcasting the games on the three networks, in addition to the Egyptian Satellite Channel, with the players getting their necessary exposure and the clubs forking in the ad-money. Zaher concluded by insisting that the EFA will make sure to defend the rights of the buying networks and stressed that no other channel or network will be allowed to photograph even parts of the matches. On the other hand, Dream executive director Amr Khafaga said that quality will be the dividing-line between the three networks airing the competitions and said that Dream pursued to obtain the broadcasting rights given that football was a “valuable commodity” in the Egyptian market. The three networks will be obliged to air the same matches aired by the ERTU with the capability of taping all the other matches.
