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THE Al Jazeera Sports Network is cashing in on the FIFA World Cup in South Africa as football fans rush to subscribe for its channels before the tournament starts on Friday.
The Qatar-based network has the sole distributing rights to officially telecast the event in the Middle East and North Africa until 2014.
The station has recruited suppliers across the kingdom who are offering special World Cup viewing packages at mall counters and several outlets.
The two authorised dealers in Bahrain are Al Mufeed Electronics and Future Commercial Services with headquarters in Gudaibya.
Fans can enjoy the World Cup in the comfort of their own living rooms by subscribing for six months or a year at around BD49 and BD66.
Customers who already have an Al Jazeera subscription running until July 31, or later, can add the tournament service by paying less than BD38.
Tariq Mustafa Abukaram, Al Muffed Electronics' sales and marketing manager, said: "The Al Jazeera Sports Network has 14 channels and it is likely to increase. We are also offering football fans the opportunity to take up just the six-month subscription exclusively for the World Cup."
The companies are also offering subscription deals for commercial enterprises such as cafes, coffee shops, pubs, restaurants, hotels and other public arenas.
One private club on the island said it was having to pay $4,000 (BD1,500) for the service which allowed it to have two World Cup subscription cards.
Viewers of rival operators will face a dilemma when it comes to trying to tune into the tournament.
Customers of OSN (Orbit/Showtime), for example, may have to purchase another receiver box as not all standard equipment will accept the Al Jazeera Sports Network World Cup card.
Once the World Cup is over footy fans in Bahrain will then have to plan their English Premiership viewing ... and pay out again!
Details have just been released by the Abu Dhabi Media Company on new subscriptions available for fans. Abu Dhabi Television's Sports channels have been awarded the exclusive rights to the Barclays Premier League for the next three seasons, starting in August.
The company says subscriptions will be available from the middle of next month online at a dedicated website www.admcsport.com
Karim Sarkis, ADMC's executive director for broadcast, said: "No matter how you choose to watch the league from the start of next season - through satellite TV, cable TV or via the internet - you will be able to watch all 380 games live."
The company says fans in the Gulf region will be charged Dhs370 (BD38) for the season to watch the games online.
Satellite TV viewers will pay up to Dhs999 (BD100) for a HD decoder, which comes with a smartcard providing a year's subscription to the AD Sports channels that will be broadcasting the league.
