By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games has announced a series of rights-holder broadcast agreements, which will bring the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games to viewers in 34 countries.

As part of these agreements, all rights-holder broadcasters will have exclusive access to footage from the Games, including: Live coverage of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, which will take place at the Baku Olympic Stadium on 12 and 22 May respectively; A one-hour daily highlights programme, featuring the best sporting action and medal events from the Games ; Live coverage of all 16 matches in the football competition, which features teams from Turkey, Cameroon, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Palestine, Algeria and Azerbaijan; A two-hour Games highlights programme

The Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) has obtained the rights to show the Games across North Africa and the Middle East countries. This will provide principal free-to-air State broadcasters across 22 countries with the opportunity to show the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games on their channels.

TV Media Sport (TVMS) has also signed an agreement, acting as exclusive agent for the Games across Sub-Saharan Africa. In doing so, it has so far received commitment from broadcasters in 12 countries - Ivory Coast (RTI), Nigeria (NTA Sports 24), Tanzania (AZAM MEDIA GROUP ZBC2), Uganda (UBC), Mozambique (TVM), Chad (ONRTV), Mali (ORTM), Guinea (RTG), Niger (ORTN), Democratic Republic of Congo (RTNC), Mauritius (MBC) and Burkina Faso (RTB) – to broadcast live footage and highlights from the Games.

Speaking about this agreement, Hedi Hamel, President of TV Media Sport said: "The diversification of international sports events is and remains a powerful vector of TV Media Sport activities. Baku 2017 will be the perfect incarnation of our strategy.”

In addition, Baku 2017 has also signed an agreement with TRT, the leading Turkish broadcaster, which means the Games will be available to viewers in the host country of the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games, scheduled to take place in 2021.

Mehmet Sahin, Head of TRT Sports Channel added: “TRT is delighted at their cooperation with Baku 2017, in becoming the exclusive Turkish Rights Holder for the forthcoming Baku 2017 4th Islamic Solidarity Games.”

“We are excited about our cooperation with BMC, the Host Broadcaster, and the entire team at AISGOC, in bringing the Games to the people of Turkey across two of our channels, TRT Spor and TRT AVAZ.”

Coverage of the Games, will also be broadcast over IP in Suriname and Guyana, by ATV and National Communications Network (NCN) respectively.

Speaking about these broadcast agreements, Mike Loynd, Chief Operating Officer for Baku 2017 said: “We are delighted that viewers from 34 countries, across three continents, will have the opportunity to follow the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games.”

“We have received an excellent response from international broadcasters to Baku 2017. There is a real demand to bring these Games to people from across the Islamic world and, as we build up to the Opening Ceremony on 12 May, we look forward to being able to announce a number of other major broadcast partnerships in the coming weeks.”

The Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games will feature athletes from every one of the ISSF’s 57 member nations, who are based across four continents. Athletes will compete in 20 sports, across 270 medal events, including football, athletics, gymnastics, wrestling and boxing.

Tickets for the Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games are available online, via the Baku2017 website – www.baku2017.com or via 12 outlets located across Baku.

The Baku 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games is an exciting multi-sport event uniting the Islamic world, which will take place from 12 – 22 May 2017.

Athletes from Islamic countries around the world will be representing their nations over 10 days of competition across 20 different sports which include 23 disciplines (Athletics and Para Athletics, Aquatics – Diving, Aquatics – Swimming, Aquatics – Water Polo, Basketball 3x3, Football, Gymnastics – Artistic, Gymnastics – Rhythmic, Wushu, Table Tennis, Handball, Judo and Blind Judo, Wrestling – Greco, Wrestling – Freestyle, Shooting, Tennis, Volleyball, Boxing, Zurkhaneh, Karate, Taekwondo and Weightlifting) in 16 world-class sporting venues in Baku.