CAF opens broadcast rights race through 2028.. Why was the Middle East and North Africa region excluded?
The Confederation of African Football CAF has officially launched a new media rights tender covering its major interclub competitions between 2026 and 2028, excluding the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) from the bidding process.
The announcement, made on Monday 2 November targets broadcasters operating in sub-Saharan Africa and includes the CAF Champions League, CAF Confederation Cup, CAF Super Cup and CAF Women's Champions League.
According to CAF's official statement, interested media organisations have until 11 November 2026 at 15:00 GMT to participate in the tender.
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Which CAF competitions are included in the broadcasting tender?
CAF's latest commercial initiative covers four major club competitions, although the rights periods differ between tournaments.
The package includes:
- CAF Champions League: Competitions in 2026, 2027 and 2028.
- CAF Confederation Cup: Competitions in 2026, 2027 and 2028.
- CAF Super Cup: The 2027 and 2028 editions
- CAF Women's Champions League: The 2027 and 2028 editions.
The tender therefore focuses exclusively on club football and does not include the Africa Cup of Nations or its qualifying competition.
The announcement comes shortly after the 2026 /27 CAF Champions League group stage draw, which confirmed the participation of several leading African clubs, including Zamalek, Pyramids, Esperance de Tunis, RS Berkane and Orlando Pirates.
The CAF Confederation Cup group stage draw also produced several high profile fixtures, with Egyptian giants Al Ahly and Moroccan rivals Raja Casablanca drawn together in Group A.
CAF believes the continued development of these competitions has contributed to growing international interest in African club football.
Why has CAF excluded the Middle East and North Africa?
One of the most significant aspects of the announcement concerns the geographical restrictions imposed on prospective broadcasters.
CAF confirmed that the following rights are available through the new tender:
- Pay TV broadcasting in English and local languages across sub-Saharan Africa.
- Free to air broadcasting in all languages across sub-Saharan Africa.
However, two categories are explicitly excluded:
- Broadcasting rights across the entire MENA region, regardless of language
- French language pay TV rights.
The distinction is important.
Excluding MENA from the tender does not mean CAF competitions will no longer be broadcast in the region.
It means that broadcasting rights for those markets are not being offered through this particular bidding process.
CAF did not provide a detailed explanation for the exclusions or announce new arrangements covering those rights in its 2 November statement.
Consequently, the announcement should not be interpreted as confirmation of any change to existing broadcasting agreements.
It also remains unclear whether separate negotiations will take place for the excluded territories or whether their rights are already covered by other commercial arrangements.
African club football attracts growing television audiences
CAF's latest decision follows significant audience growth across its interclub competitions.
In October 2025, the governing body announced that television audiences for African club competitions had increased by 35% in sub-Saharan Africa during the preceding season.
At the same time, audiences in North Africa and the wider MENA region recorded growth exceeding 40%.
According to CAF's previous media rights announcement, the expansion was partly driven by increased interest in clubs from Southern and Eastern Africa.
The growing competitiveness of teams from those regions, combined with stronger domestic football audiences, has contributed to rising demand for broadcasting and sponsorship rights.
The 2025 tender covered the 2025 /26 Champions League and Confederation Cup, alongside the Super Cup 2026 and Women's Champions League.
Unlike the latest invitation, it also explicitly offered rights for territories outside Africa, excluding MENA.
The new announcement focuses on sub-Saharan markets and does not specify a separate package for the rest of the world.
That difference highlights the importance of territorial arrangements in CAF's broadcasting strategy, although the governing body has not explained whether further international rights packages will be offered.
Why the new agreement matters for African clubs
Broadcasting revenue represents an important commercial resource for African football.
Strong television distribution can increase the visibility of clubs, attract sponsors and strengthen the commercial value of continental competitions.
For CAF, securing broadcasting agreements across different markets also creates opportunities to expand the audience for its tournaments.
Free to air rights are particularly significant because they can make matches accessible to viewers without paid television subscriptions.
Meanwhile, pay TV agreements can provide another source of commercial revenue through licensed broadcasting partnerships.
The inclusion of the Women's Champions League in the tender also reflects CAF's efforts to develop the visibility and commercial potential of women's club football.
The competition continues to attract leading teams from across the continent, with the CAF Women's Champions League becoming an increasingly important platform for African women's football.
However, the financial value of the new rights package has not been disclosed, and CAF has not announced any successful bidders.
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