Arab group earns right to beam Olympics via TV, Internet, mobile

The Arab States Broadcasting Union was awarded the Middle East broadcast rights to the 2012 London Olympics in a deal worth $21 million, an Associated Press report said.

The International Olympic Committee, which negotiated the rights, said the deal includes coverage in Bahrain, Djibouti, Iraq, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Yemen, the Associated Press report said.

The ASBU has been the IOC's broadcast partner in the region since 1976, the report said.

In 2012, the ASBU will offer free-to-air coverage via TV, cable, satellite, Internet and mobile telephones., the report said.