• BeIN sports is the main broadcaster of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the channel plays at home

  • "20 Minutes" was able to access the premises of the Qatari group in Doha, to understand how the channel covers the World Cup

From our Special Envoy in Doha,

You have to imagine yourself in a room halfway between the cockpit of an A380 and that of Han Solo's Millennium Falcon, with endless electronics and screens.

"You can have fun counting them", jokes our guide, quite proud of the place.

Welcome to the management of beIN MENA (Middle East North Africa), where 34 channels are managed and where the water bottles are in the brand's colors.

The atmosphere is almost too relaxed, but in the Mecca of all the meetings of the 2022 World Cup, we are well aware of living our big evening.

“This is the first and surely the last World Cup that we organize, declares, lucid, Jassim Al Muftah, a representative of beIN MENA.

So it's important for us to do the best.

»

To make a good impression, too, for the media invited to find out how the major event is covered in Qatar.

The speech is precise and machine-gunned in enviably perfect English.

It's raining numbers to infinity, all more gratifying than the other for the sports channel holding the rights to the 2022 World Cup. Among the most amusing, we learn of the existence of ten non-sports channels out of 34 in the Middle East , including beIN Gourmet, where it is often a question of recipes from starred chefs.

But we digress.


Highlight the fervor around the event

On the occasion of the World Cup, the pharaonic means of the emirate are put at the service of the group, which benefits from 20 studios across Qatar and 60 field journalists: twenty in Doha, the rest across the world.

“It's not just about broadcasting football, explains Al Muftah, but also about showing the reaction of fans around the world.

“Basically, to show the rest of the Middle East the enthusiasm around “his” World Cup.

Even if it is above all a question of highlighting Qatar, for which the event is as much a tool of international influence as a showcase.

The presence of a studio in Arabic Park thus offers a breathtaking view of the Doha skyline, for lovers of skyscrapers.

As for BeIN Sports France,

The French branch of the group is also entitled to its share at the heart of the Qatari high mass.

She thus inherited the G7 studio – nothing to do with taxis – a very small studio, nothing at all on a local scale, but “twice as large as those in Paris” specifies the director of editorial, programs and branches of beIN Sports France, Florent Houzot.

300 m² on which are spread three stages and as many different universes according to the programs broadcast by beIN Sports.

The depth of field offers Hollywood directing possibilities, and the neon lights contrast with the black ground to give the place a futuristic feel in which Darren Tulett fully thrives.

"Ah, we have an audience today," laughs the British journalist, ten seconds from going on the air with Benjamin Moukandjo, one of beIN France's consultants for the competition.

Tulett is what you might call an editorial cabinet.

Ten years that he is there, indisputable holder and faithful to the post.


“If we have to show the info, we show it, period”

English and under contract with a Qatari channel, a double-label not easy to manage given the various societal themes that agitate the World Cup, the One Love armband in mind.

“I find that FIFA mismanaged the situation, theorizes Tulett during a break off set.

They sent messages of support against discrimination and racism, launched campaigns in this direction, at least in the intention.

And there, when selections ask to do exactly the same thing by wearing an armband, which is not even the most powerful symbol in the world, FIFA refuses.

While it is this same message that it conveys the rest of the time.

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For his part, Florent Houzot is pleased to have chosen to show the photo of the Germans, hand in front of the face, before the kick-off of their first match against Japan.

“The image of Germany was not in the international signal.

This is an image that was taken by the photographers during the pre-game.

And we showed it, we did our job normally.

If we think we have to show the info, we do it.

Point.

The delicate art of importing the concept of freedom of the press to Qatar.

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