Final COMESA Competition Commission investigation into CAF broadcasting agreement wraps up, with Meysan team securing closure

Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF)’s $400 Million+ broadcast investigation into its agreement with beIN Sports concludes; leading #African and #Middle #Eastern law firms played key roles behind the scenes. Meysan’s Partner Tarek Badawy, Senior Associates Salma Abdelaziz and Ismail Lamie, and Associate Aya El Far advised CAF; beIN was represented by Bowmans (Law Firm) Africa-wide competition team, including Partners Derek Lotter and Joyce Karanja. The closure of the investigation into CAF’s agreement with beIN Sports marks the end of a series of #antitrust #investigations led by the COMESA Competition Commission (the “Commission”) against several CAF sponsorship, marketing, and broadcasting agreements with a combined value exceeding US$ 2.5 Billion. The investigations concluded with CAF securing (i) the closure of the review of its Sponsorship Agreements; (ii) the COMESA Competition Appeals Board’s dismissal of the Committee Responsible for Initial Determination’s decision to fine CAF and Lagardere Sports (now Sportfive); and (iii) the Appeals Board’s approval of the agreements that CAF and other broadcasters reached with the Commission to ensure the uninterrupted flow of broadcasting services to consumers and stability of business in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (the “COMESA”), with CAF committing to adopt the Commission’s proposal’s regarding the award of contracts in future bidding rounds. None of the investigations resulted in a finding of breach or liability, or imposition penalties on the parties.