Israeli television is to broadcast the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia with Arabic commentary for the first time, offering free of charge coverage of world soccer's most prestigious competition to Israel's Arabic-speaking neighbors.
The Foreign Ministry of Israel's Arabic-language Facebook page announced last week that Israel Broadcasting Authority would be broadcasting the games via satellite in Arabic for free, thereby breaking a Qatari monopoly on World Cup coverage in Arabic that has proved unaffordable for many in the Middle East.
According to
Egypt Independent, Israel Broadcasting Authority purchased the broadcasting rights for approximately $7.8m and will rival Qatar's beIN Sports television channel's coverage of the World Cup in countries including Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
With Qatar's BeIN Sports demanding that fans pay $45 per household to watch the World Cup in Arabic, a subscription proving unaffordable for many in the region, millions of Middle East soccer fans are likely to turn to Israeli coverage as a free alternative.
The World Cup, due to kick off on June 14 in Moscow, will feature Israel's southern neighbors Egypt for only the third time, their first appearance in nearly three decades.
