As the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar comes to a close with Argentina and France facing off today, pundits are beginning to deliver their verdicts on whether the first World Cup held in the Middle East will be remembered as a success.
in Qatar comes to a close with Argentina and France facing off Sunday in the lavish golden bowl-shaped Lusail Stadium, pundits are beginning to deliver their verdicts on whether the first World Cup held in the Middle East will be remembered as a success.
But when all is said and done — provided Qatar maintains a safe environment through to Sunday — “they have absolutely pulled it off,” says Claire Enders, founder of leading London-based media consultancy Enders Analysis. BeIN, which denies being billions in the red, in a statement last week trumpeted record-breaking World Cup ratings across the 24 countries in the Middle East and North Africa where they are exclusive rights holders. “We are not surprised that the first World Cup in the Middle East is shattering regional viewership records with more than one billion cumulative views of the opening ceremony and first 16 matches,” said beIN CEO Mohammad Al-Subaie.
As one Qatar-based media expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity, points out: “The fact that certain teams in Africa, the Middle East and Asia performed remarkably well; that the whole Southern Hemisphere has gotten involved [in saying things like,] ‘Oh my God, look at that! The Saudi team can beat Argentina! Korea can tie to Portugal! Japan can knock out titans of the game [Spain]!’ That really made this World Cup one of those topsy-turvy moments in time where the fan bases weren’t just...
Adds Dubai-based media consultant Mazen Hayek, a former spokesman for MBC, the Arab world’s largest TV network: “From a nationalistic perspective, millions of Arab fans are celebrating the fact that the FIFA World Cup is finally taking place in their own part of the world. From a logistical, organizational and operational standpoint, Doha spared no expense to make sure the World Cup is a success.
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