The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced a new regional media rights partnership with ELEVEN, covering six key Southeast Asian markets — Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the Philippines. The deal, signed in early November 2025, grants ELEVEN exclusive broadcasting and streaming rights for major AFC tournaments, including the AFC Asian Cup and AFC Champions League.
This move signals a significant shift in how sports rights are distributed across Asia. Instead of centralized broadcasting, the AFC is pursuing a localized rights strategy — empowering platforms like ELEVEN to tailor content for regional audiences. The approach not only enhances fan engagement but also opens the door to Web3-enabled fan participation, such as tokenized highlights, collectible NFTs, or regional access passes.
ELEVEN, known for its focus on digital-first sports streaming, plans to integrate interactive viewing features and micro-subscription models, aligning with younger, mobile-savvy audiences. For investors, this partnership demonstrates the growing convergence between sports media rights, blockchain solutions, and decentralized fan economies — especially as the line between streaming platforms and fintech ecosystems continues to blur.
By leveraging new technologies, AFC’s partnership with ELEVEN could become a blueprint for multi-region content monetization, giving fans more control over what and how they watch — and potentially even how they invest in their favorite teams.
