BeIN or not beIN, sport TV contracts a must for football-mad Egypt
CAIRO: Like it or not, Egypt is having to resort to pricey beIN sports TV network subscriptions to watch the national team, The Pharaohs, play in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.
In a country of 97 million people where the average wage does not exceed 200 euros ($235), only better-off football enthusiasts can afford private subscriptions to the sports broadcaster at home.
In Egypt, subscribers have to buy a beIN decoder for 1,630 pounds (78 euros) and pay an annual subscription of 2,280 pounds.
Coffee shop owners are hoping to recoup their investment by pulling in the crowds.
In cafes where shisha smoke will mix with the chatter and enthusiasm of fans, a large screen linked to beIN channels will prove a huge draw.
For 40-year-old Ahmed Ibrahim, the owner of a cafe in downtown Cairo, a beIN subscription is “a must”.
One of his regulars, 19-yearold Magdi Arafa, has grown his hair long to look like Liverpool’s Egyptian star player Mohamed Salah.
Arafa said he will just have to go to the cafe to watch the World Cup, which starts on June 14.
“What can I do? I want to watch the matches, I want to watch my country’s national team,” he said, seated with friends at the cafe.
Egypt plays its opening game against Uruguay on June 15, followed by matches against host country Russia on June 19 and Saudi Arabia on June 25. — AFP