Rita Herring brings over 20 years of global content distribution experience.
Exclusive home in North America of elite soccer competitions, including Ligue 1, Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana, and the upcoming CAF African Cup of Nations 2025 as well as a range of combat and Olympic sports.
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. Ms Herring will succeed Antonio Briceño, who will assume a new short-term role as Senior Advisor to the beIN MEDIA GROUP Chief Executive Officer. Mr 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.
Ms 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.
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.
Yousef Al-Obaidly, Group CEO of beIN MEDIA GROUP
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. This approach will give viewers more choice and convenience and deliver greater addressable scale and measurable outcomes for distributors and advertisers. 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 3x3 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 is proud of its volume of coverage offered to soccer 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.
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.
About beIN SPORTS North America
beIN SPORTS offers viewers world-class sports content and entertainment across multiple platforms including TV channels beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS en Español, live streaming on beIN SPORTS CONNECT and free channels, beIN SPORTS XTRA and beIN SPORTS XTRA en Español. A cornerstone of beIN SPORTS is its unrivaled live soccer coverage, which includes live matches from Ligue 1, Ligue 2, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Recopa Sudamericana, Turkish Süper Lig, Africa Cup of Nations, CAF Confederation Cup, CAF Champions League and International Friendlies as well as news of all the top leagues from around the world. In addition to soccer, beIN SPORTS serves as a haven for fans of padel, footvolley, wrestling, mixed martial arts (MMA), skiing, motorsports, and basketball, among others.
MEDIA CONTACTS
MARGOT ™ for beIN SPORTS