Al Jazeera buys Premier League TV rights

Al Jazeera Sport has bought exclusive media rights to English Premier League football in the Middle East and North Africa for three years starting from next month, it said in a statement on Monday.

Qatar-based Al Jazeera reached agreement with TV sports rights firm MP & Silva for access to all 380 Premier League matches across media platforms and devices in 23 countries from Iran to Morocco, taking in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

Former Sky Sports presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray will front the English language programmes with Ayman Jada and Mohammed Saadon Al Kuwari presenting Arabic coverage starting with the 2013/14 season which kicks off on August 17.

Sunderland sign Italian midfielder Giaccherini

Italy midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini became Sunderland's ninth signing of the close season when the Premier League club agreed a reported 8.5-million-pound deal with Serie A champions Juventus on Tuesday.

The fee and personal terms were settled last week but the deal was not finalised until after Giaccherini's wife gave birth to daughter Caterina..... more after the cut