New partnership starts in 2021-22 for EuroCup, 2022-23 for EuroLeague
Euroleague Basketball is proud to announce that Saran Media Group has been chosen as the new TV partner for its competitions in Turkey, ensuring that the country's countless fans will enjoy elite broadcast coverage of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup for years to come.
Turkey's central role in the soaring popularity of the EuroLeague and EuroCup – which together have crowned four Turkish champions over the last six seasons – will be joined to the growth story of a new partner, Saran, which was founded in 1995.
Saran will begin broadcasting all EuroCup games featuring Turkish teams in the upcoming 2021-22 season and will do the same for the country's EuroLeague teams starting in 2022-23. Saran will continue broadcasting both competitions until the end of the 2024-25 season, which will mark the 25th anniversary of Euroleague Basketball.
"We are happy to announce Saran as the new home for the top European basketball over the next few seasons," Jordi Bertomeu, CEO of Euroleague Basketball, said. "Saran will continue to serve the ever-growing EuroLeague and EuroCup communities in Turkey with great games and high-quality production, but I'm sure that the collaboration will go well beyond that, as Saran is completely aligned with Euroleague Basketball's off-the-court philosophy and values, too."
Turkish fans have continued flocking to the EuroLeague in recent years, with TV audience numbers and fan interest jumping 21% each over the last three seasons. One of the country's flagship clubs, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, became the first EuroLeague champion from Turkey in 2017, while another, Anadolu Efes Istanbul, won the 2021 Final Four and will enter the upcoming season as reigning champ.
All games featuring Turkish teams will be aired on Saran channels S Sport and S Sport2. Additional international games are to be featured on both channels as well as Saran's OTT platform S Sport Plus. S Sport and S Sport2 are carried by the major Turkish pay TV platforms D-Smart, TV+, TiviBu, Kablo TV and Vodafone TV – reaching over five million pay TV households.
Alan Kenan Saran, CEO of SARAN Media Group, said: "We are excited and proud to be partnering with the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and EuroCup to bring the highest quality of European basketball to millions of our dedicated and deserving sports fans on our S Sport channels. The EuroLeague has never been more popular in Turkey with the impressive recent championship seasons of Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahce, and through S Sport's outstanding editorial and production team we will ensure that the popularity and the brand continue to grow."