Partnership will bring more than 750 matches from the UAE Second Division, Third Division, Women’s Football League and UAE FA Cup to audiences across the MENA region.
Dubai, UAE – Smashi Sports, part of Augustus Media, has announced a landmark partnership with the United Arab Emirates Football Association (UAEFA), securing exclusive OTT streaming rights across the MENA region for four UAE football competitions throughout the 2026/27 season.
The partnership will bring more than 750+ matches live to fans across the region, covering the UAE Second Division, UAE Third Division, UAE Women’s Football League and UAE FA Cup, giving greater visibility to the clubs, players and communities shaping the future of football in the UAE.
As part of the agreement, every match across the four competitions will be produced and streamed live on the Smashi TV app, website and connected-device platforms.
The partnership represents a significant expansion of Smashi Sports’ investment in local and regional sport, strengthening its commitment to bringing UAE competitions closer to digital-first audiences while creating a larger platform for emerging sporting talent.
A key focus of the partnership will be increasing visibility for football beyond the UAE’s top professional tier.
For the first time, fans will be able to follow the UAE Women’s Football League throughout the full season, alongside comprehensive live coverage of the UAE Second and Third Divisions and the UAE FA Cup.
Smashi Sports will manage full match production, combining manned multi-camera coverage with AI-powered automated camera technology across venues throughout the UAE. Matches will be delivered in Full HD 1080p with Arabic commentary, supported by highlights published within 24 hours of the final whistle. The partnership will also extend beyond live match coverage.
Throughout the season, Smashi Sports will build ongoing conversation around the competitions through match highlights, weekly fixtures, player and coach interviews, on-ground coverage, social-first storytelling and dedicated studio programming.
The wider Augustus Media ecosystem will support the partnership through additional amplification across the Lovin network, including Lovin Dubai, Lovin Abu Dhabi, Lovin Sharjah and Lovin Ras Al Khaimah, helping introduce the competitions, players and stories to wider audiences across the UAE
“This partnership with Smashi Sports represents a new step that helps expand the reach of the UAE Football Association competitions covered by the partnership through widely accessible digital broadcasting, emphasizing the importance of digital broadcasting in the technological era.
The UAE Football Association is working to develop all sectors and seeks to reach the widest possible fan base. The UAEFA Board of Directors, chaired by H.E. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, President of the UAE Football Association, supports fruitful initiatives and provides the best environment for partnerships that benefit UAE football, its competitions and its fans.”
Shamsa Al Shehhi, Executive Director of Communications and Commercial Affairs, UAE Football Association
“Local sport has always been about more than what happens on the pitch. It is about the players, clubs and communities behind it, and our role as Smashi Sports is to make sure those stories have the platform and visibility they deserve.
This partnership with the UAE Football Association represents a major investment in that vision. More than 750 matches in one season is a significant production commitment, but more importantly, it allows us to create consistent visibility around competitions and players that have historically had limited access to a regional audience.
Through Smashi Sports and the wider Augustus Media network, we want to help build audiences around these competitions, create new opportunities for UAE football and make local sport more accessible to the next generation of fans.”
Richard Fitzgerald, CEO & Founder, Augustus Media
The partnership further strengthens Smashi Sports’ growing role within the regional sports ecosystem and builds on the platform’s continued investment in live sports rights, production, technology and original programming across the Middle East.
Full fixture and viewing details for the 2026/27 season will be announced across Smashi Sports and through the official UAE FA app.
Augustus Media 