• Mark your calendars for Asia's biggest football tournament - The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ - starting January 12 to February 10, 2024
  • Hosted by the defending Champions, Qatar, witness 24 top teams vie for glory

The AFC Asian Cup 2023, Asia's premier continental football competition, kicks off in Qatar on 12th January. This highly anticipated tournament will feature the participation of 24 teams as current champions Qatar look to retain their title on home soil. All matches will be broadcast exclusively in the UAE on Abu Dhabi Sports Asia 1 via STARZPLAY.

The action starts on Friday, as host nation Qatar kick off the defence of their title against Lebanon at 20:00 UAE. The journey concludes with the grand final on February 10, at the iconic Lusail Stadium, where two finalists will compete for continental glory at 19:00 UAE.

The illustrious 88,000-seater Lusail Stadium, inaugurated in September 2022, has already etched its name in history. In October 2023, it witnessed Lionel Messi's triumphant moment in the 2022 World Cup final. This iconic venue is all set to host the AFC Asian Cup 2023™, promising fans an unforgettable experience.

The AFC Asian Cup, now in its 18th edition, was initially slated for 2023. However, the tournament was rescheduled to 2024 due to high summer temperatures and Qatar's participation in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Football fans in the UAE can catch all the action live and exclusively on Abu Dhabi Sports Asia via STARZPLAY. Don't miss a moment of the AFC Asian Cup 2023 football fever.

When and where to watch?

  • Match: Qatar vs Lebanon
  • Venue: Lusail Stadium
  • Date and Time: January 12th 20:00 UAE
  • Where to watch live: https://starzplay.com/channels/starzplaysports

With thousands of hours of premium content including the best western content, Arabic shows, Turkish favourites, anime, and live sports, STARZPLAY is fast solidifying its position as a leading multi-faceted entertainment hub. The service is available in 19 countries across the MENA for fans to enjoy quality content anytime, anywhere, and from any device.

About STARZPLAY:

A leading video-on-demand platform in the region, STARZPLAY (www.starzplay.com) streams an extensive variety of premium content, covering Hollywood movies, exclusive shows, Arabic content, documentaries, same-time-as-the-US series – plus live sports and dedicated kids’ entertainment – to 19 countries across MENA and Pakistan.

STARZPLAY has thousands of premium titles, including exclusive STARZPLAY Originals such as Kaboos, Harley, Million Dollar Listing UAE, Baghdad Central, Say Yes to the Dress Arabia, STARZ original content such as Power, Outlander, Spartacus and The White Queen as well as STARZPLAY Sports, the dedicated sports package covering football (Italian Serie A and Dutch Eredivisie leagues), wrestling (All Elite Wrestling), cricket, rugby, UFC Arabia, boxing, basketball and more.

STARZPLAY has secured tie-ups with a host of leading, global studios including Lionsgate, MGM, SHOWTIME, Paramount+, Warner Bros, Universal, Discovery and Sony Studios along with regional producers such as UMS, Eagle Films and Falcon. Users can stream the discovery+ library or catch the latest Arabic series and movies from WATCH IT at no extra cost.

With the STARZPLAY Store, users can buy or rent direct-from-cinema movie releases and watch on their own terms, whilst STARZPLAY Fantasy Sports, the first free-to-play Web 3.0 fantasy sports game in MENA, gives users a new dimension to watching live matches on STARZPLAY Sports with real-time predictions and prizes.

Until 2022, STARZ (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) was the lead investor along with media and technology investment firms including SEQ Investors and Delta Partners. In early 2021, STARZPLAY Arabia secured its first independent financing in the region of US$25 million (approx. AED 92 million) from Abu Dhabi based Ruya Partners. In 2022, E-Vision, from e& and ADQ, an Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company acquired a majority equity stake of circa 57% in the company.  

Reaching over to 2.9 million subscribers, STARZPLAY Arabia allows subscribers to watch its full HD and 4K content via most internet-enabled devices, smart TVs and game consoles, and is widely available on regional IPTV services. Its iOS and Android apps – installed on more than three million devices – also allow downloads for offline playback.

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For media enquiries:  
Srishti Soni | Janine Alamir
ASDA’A BCW
srishti.soni@bcw-global.com | janine.alamir@bcw-global.com