beIN SPORTS selects Cisco Videoscape TV

Cisco Videoscape Enables Premium Programming Services for beIN SPORTS in Over 20 Countries

• BeIN SPORTS Video Platform Is Available Across the MENA Region

SAN JOSE, CA — Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) announced that global sports pay-TV provider, beIN SPORTS, has selected the Cisco Videoscape TV services delivery platform to deliver advanced sports video experiences across 20+ countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Cisco provides software & hardware solutions, along with prime system integration services to beIN SPORTS to help support millions of new subscriptions across MENA.

beIN SPORTS, launched in January 2014, is the leader in premium and exclusive sports content across a vast region spanning North Africa, Middle East. It is jointly owned and operated by Qatari Sports Investments.

• The platform uses Cisco’s VideoGuard conditional access system (CAS), Cisco MediaHighway middleware, Cisco digital video recorder (DVR) and user interface (UI) technologies to give users an exceptional experience when watching beIN SPORTS content.
• beIN SPORTS offer a variety of high definition set-top boxes from multiple manufacturers, all enabled by Cisco software and security solutions, ranging from a low-end zapper to a mid-range DVR, and a high-end media gateway enabled by Cisco middleware with a common, advanced user interface.

Yousef Mohammed Al-Obaidly, Deputy CEO beIN SPORTS: “Consumer appetite for new video experiences and a connected lifestyle is developing so rapidly in the MENA region. It is opportune that we have teamed with Cisco to help us remain competitive by delivering new and exciting services faster than ever before. With premium content security top of our agenda, Cisco Videoscape can provide an open, flexible and fully secure platform that will reduce barriers to innovation and time to market. The first boxes launched in March, 2014 and we will continue to roll out many more high-end boxes throughout this next year.”

Yves Padrines, Vice President, Cable Media & Video, Cisco, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia: “Security and protecting valuable premium sports programming is of vital importance to beIN SPORTS. Utilizing the Cisco Videoscape platform allow beIN SPORTS to provide a secure and flexible foundation for launching more personalized, synchronized, and social video experiences that their subscribers in the MENA region want and expect.”